THE  OLD  CHINA  BOOK 


Fig.  24.     ALMSHOUSE,  NEW  YORK.    A.  Stevenson. 


Fig.  25.    COLUMBIA  COLLEGE.     A.  Slevensor.. 


THE  OLD  CHINA  BOOK 

INCLUDING 

STAFFORDSHIRE,  WEDGWOOD,   LUSTRE, 

AND 

OTHER  ENGLISH  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN 

BY 
N.    HUDSON    MOORE 


NEW  YORK  "         ' 

FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY  ■"*'''.  f; 
PUBLISHERS 


rv 


V 


^'i*iiiiZ::oi3  t.?j  t„PT. 


Copyright,  1903, 
By  Frederick  A.  Stukes  Company. 


Rriittc'fl  in  the  United  States  of  America 


PREFACE. 

This  little  book  has  been  compiled  to  meet  the 
wants  (expressed  in  hundreds  of  letters)  of  those  who 
own  old  china,  particularly  old  English  china,  and 
would  like  to  know  more  about  it,  and  to  stimulate 
others  to  whom  the  fascinations  of  china  collecting  are 
as  yet  unknown. 

There  are  many  more  to  whom  we  hope  to  appeal : — 
those  who  are  interested  in  their  country's  history 
during  that  strenuous  time  when  the  colony  cast  aside 
its  mother's  hand  and  took  its  first  steps  alone. 
It  may  well  stir  our  patriotism  to  look  on  the  plain 
buildings  our  ancestors  were  content  to  view  as 
"  Beauties  "  ;  to  note  the  primitive  methods  of  trans- 
portation both  on  land  and  sea  ;  to  revise  our  know- 
ledge of  such  famous  victories  as  McDonough's,  or 
Bunker  Hill,  and  to  study  the  rugged  features  of  those 
who  worked  and  died  to  make  our  country  what  she  is. 
All  this  and  more  may  be  found  within  the  limits  of  a 
collection  of  "  Old  Blue." 

Quite  apart  from  the  peculiar  interest  of  the  Staf- 
fordshire wares  are  those  lovely  English  porcelains 
and  pottery  of  the  late  eighteenth  century.  They  well 
repay  study,  and  many  of  us  may  rejoice  to  find  that 
we  are  harbouring  angels  unawares. 

Some  of  the  illustrations  have  been  used  in  articles 
on  this  subject,  and  thanks  are  due  to  the  DelineatoTy 
House  Beautiful,  and  the  Ledger  Mo7ithly  for  permis- 
sion to  reproduce  them. 


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M/l 


vi  PREFACE. 

To  the  editors  of  "  Old  China  "  the  writer  is  indebted 
for  a  number  of  cuts,  particularly  the  fine  English 
views,  which  are  being  eagerly  sought.  Numerous 
photographs  were  taken  expressly  for  this  book,  and 
obligations  are  expressed  to  the  Boston  Museum  of 
Fine  Arts,  Concord  Antiquarian  Society,  to  Mrs. 
Frederick  Yates,  Mrs.  A.  K.  Davis  Anthony  Killgore, 
Esq.,  Mr.  William  M.  Hoyt,  and  many  others,  who 
kindly  put  their  private  collections  at  the  writer's 
disposal. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

CHAPTER   I. 

1.  Salt  glaze  plate. 

2.  Tortoise-shell  covered  mug. 

3.  Queen's  ware  jug. 

4.  Willow  pattern  platter. 

CHAPTER  II. 

5.  View  of  City  of  Albany. 

6.  "  Chief  Justice  Marshall ''  (steamboat). 

7.  "Cadmus." 

8.  Wood  and  Caldwell  jug. 

9.  Catskill.  N,  Y. 

10.  Lake  George,  N.  Y. 

11.  Castle  Garden  and  Battery,  N.  Y. 

12.  West  Point,  Newburg,  Catskill  Mt.  House. 

13.  Landing  of  the  Pilgrims. 

14.  Landing  of  Pilgrims  pitcher. 

15.  Erie  Canal  plates. 

16.  Table  Rock,  Niagara. 

17.  Falls  of  Montmorency. 

18.  Woman  of  Samaria. 

19.  Marine  Hospital,  Ky. 

20.  Limehouse  Dock. 

21.  Warwick  Castle, 

22.  Ely. 

23.  Mill  at  Charenton. 

24.  Columbia  College. 

25.  Almshouse,  N.  Y. 

26.  New  York  from  Brooklyn  Heights. 

27.  New  York  from  Brooklyn  Heights  (platter). 

28.  Landing  of  Lafayette. 

29.  States  platter. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

30.  Pittsfield  Elm. 

31.  Syntax  tray.     Advertisement  for  a  Wife, 

32.  Syntax  plate.     Bluestocking  Beauty, 

33.  The  Valentine.     Wilkie  design. 

34.  Lumley  Castle,  Durham. 

35.  Boston  State  House. 

36.  Nahant. 

CHAPTER  III. 

37.  Capitol  at  Washington. 

38.  Almshouse,  N.  Y. 

39.  Boston  Hospital. 

40.  Capitol  at  Washington  (Fish  tray). 

41.  Octagon  Church,  Boston. 

42.  Mount  Vernon  and  two  cup-plates. 

43.  All  Soul's  College  and  St.  Mary's  Church,  Oxford. 

44.  Battery. 

45.  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

46.  Lawrence  Mansion,  Boston. 

47.  So  called — Lawrence  Mansion. 

48.  Capitol,  Washington. 

49.  City  Hotel,  N.  Y. 

50.  Scudder's  American  Museum. 

51.  Harvard  College. 

52.  Columbia  College. 

53.  Harewood  House. 

54.  Franklin's  Tomb  (cup  and  saucer). 

CHAPTER  IV. 

55.  Arms  of  Rhode  Island. 

56.  Arms  of  Pennsylvania. 

57.  Arms  of  New  York. 

58.  Arms  of  Delaware. 

59.  Tomb  (sugar  bowl). 

60.  Mitchell  &  Freeman's  China  House. 

61.  Columbus  plate. 

62.  St.  George's  Chapel. 

63.  Branxholm  Castle. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


64. 

Hancock  House. 

65. 

State  House,  Boston. 

66. 

U.  S.  Hotel,  Philadelphia. 

67. 

Richard  Jordan's  residence. 

68. 

Louisville,  Ky. 

69. 

Sandusky,  Ohio. 

70. 

Albany,  N.  Y. 

71. 

Baltimore  Almshouse. 

72. 

Fulton  steamboat. 

73. 

Eulogy  plate. 

74. 

Utica  inscription. 

75. 

Lovejoy  plate. 

76. 

Burning  of  Merchant's  Exchange,  N.  Y. 

CHAPTER  V. 

77. 

Medallion  pitcher. 

78. 

St.  Paul's  Chapel. 

79- 

Windsor  Castle. 

80. 

Jefferson  and  Clinton,  Boston  Hospital 

81. 

Lafayette. 

82. 

Niagara. 

83. 

Franklin. 

84. 

Perry. 

CHAPTER  VL 

85. 

Butcher's  Arms  pitcher. 

86. 

Butchers  Arms  pitcher.    Reverse  side. 

87. 

Black-printed  ware. 

88. 

Apotheosis  jug. 

89. 

Washington  map  jug. 

90- 

Washington  jug. 

91. 

Monument  jug. 

92. 

Washington  jug. 

93. 

Masonic  jug. 

94. 

Death  of  Wolfe. 

95. 

Commodore  Preble  pitcher. 

96- 

Sunderland  jugs. 

97. 

Printed  tea-set. 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 
CHAPTER  VII 

98.  Bow  pickle  leaf  and  creamer, 

99.  Chelsea. 

100.  Crown-Derby,  Falstaff. 

loi.  Bristol,  Flora. 

102.  Bristol  pottery. 

103.  Leed's  ware. 

104.  Old  Worcester  cup  and  saucer, 

105.  Old  Worcester  plate. 

106.  Plymouth,  Harlequin. 

107.  Corner  cupboard  of  Lowestoft. 

108.  Rose-sprigged  Lowestoft. 

109.  Blue-banded  Lowestoft. 
no.  Certified  Lowestoft. 

111.  Spode. 

112.  Mason's  stone. 

113.  Herculaneum  porcelain. 

CHAPTER  VIIL 

114.  Black  basaltes  tea-set. 

115.  Nelson  teapot. 

116.  Silver  lustre  tea-set. 

117.  Silver  lustre  cake-basket  and  vase*. 

118.  Group  of  jugs. 

119.  Lustre  mug  and  goblets. 

120.  Group  of  lustre  jugs. 

121.  Cornwallis. 

122.  Lafayette. 

123.  Cups  and  saucers,  lustre  decoration. 

124.  Castleford  teapot. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

125.  Cream  ware,  teapot. 

126.  Basaltes  medallion. 

127.  Basaltes  tea-set. 

128.  Basaltes  vase. 

129.  Jasper  flower-holder. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

130.  Jasper  vase,  blue  and  white. 

131.  Jasper  vase,  lilac  and  white. 

132.  Flower-pot. 

133.  Lustre  candlesticks. 

134.  Wedgwood's  patterns. 

CHAPTER  X. 

135.  Toby,  etc. 

136.  Lavender  porcelain  jug. 

137.  Davenport  jug. 

138.  Newburg  jug.  Clews. 

139.  Minster  jug. 

140.  Ariadne  jug. 

141.  Alcock  jugs. 

142.  Eagle  and  Silenus  jugs. 

143.  Toby  jugs. 

144.  Group  of  teapots,  printed  wares. 

145.  Groups  of  teapots,  lustre  decorations. 

146.  Group  of  teapots,  painted  wares. 

147.  "Lion  Slayer." 

148.  Pepper-pot. 

149.  Nottingham  Bear. 

150.  Cow  and  Calf. 


CONTENTS. 

CHArrSK.  FAGK. 

Preface          v 

List  of  Illustrations vii 

I.     Early  Pottery i 

II.     Staffordshire  Wares 12 

III.  Staffordshire  Wares,  Continued      .        .  38 

IV.  Staffordshire  Wares,  Continued      .        .  61 

V.  Portrait  Pieces 86 

VI.     Liverpool  and  Other  Printed  Wares        .  100 

VII.     English  Porcelain  and  Pottery        .        .  124 

VIII.     Basaltes,  Lustres,  White  Ware,  Etc.,      .  166 

IX.    Wedgwood  and  His  Wares  .        .        .        .185 

X.     Jugs,  Teapots  and  Animals  .        .        .234 

List  of  Views *54 

Works  on  Pottery  and  Porcelain   Con- 
sulted       284 

Index 285 


THE  OLD  CHINA  BOOK. 


CHAPTER  I.^  .    .,..,.,.. 

EARLY   POTTERY. 

To-DAY,  when  our  watchword  seems  to  be  "  rush," 
when  people  who  would  like  to  pause  and  bide  awhile 
are  swept  along  with  the  multitude,  the  thoughtful 
person  is  likely  to  ask  "  How  can  I  best  withstand  the 
pressure?  " 

The  device  which  is  of  the  greatest  use  is  the  culti- 
vation of  a  hobby,  an  intense  interest  in  some  particu- 
lar subject,  let  it  be  birds,  butterflies  or  beetles,  old 
laces,  engravings,  or  china. 

To  be  able  to  throw  your  mind  into  the  contempla- 
tion of  a  subject  which  is  of  such  interest  to  you  that 
workaday  worries  are  crowded  out  is  not  only  a  rest 
but  a  pleasure,  and  though  you  may  have  started  on 
your  gatherings  without  either  thought  or  desire  for  im- 
provement, insensibly  you  will  find  yourself  drawn  into 
new  fields,  into  by-paths  leading  off  from  the  main 
road,  where  you  will  find  much  to  surprise  and  interest 
you. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  mention  the  shining  lights  of 
past  and  present  times  who  have  found  pleasure  in 
the  gathering  of  china.  I  am  sometimes  asked  if  it  is 
not  a  very  costly  pleasure.     It  may  be,  yet  within  my 


8  THE   OLD    CHINA   BOOK. 

own  experience  have  come  the  following  ardent  col- 
lectors of  "  old  blue  "  :  a  busy  doctor,  a  woman  who  is 
a  cook  in  a  restaurant,  an  editor,  a  butcher,  an  actor, 
a  school  teacher,  and  dozens  of  women  of  leisure,  some 
with  wealth  and  some  with  none,  some  owning 
dozens,  even  hundreds,  of  pieces,  some  less  than  a 
score,  yet  all  fejoicing  in  the  cultivation  of  an  interest, 
"  a  new  interest  in  life,"  as  many  of  them  say,  which 
provides  agreeable  food  for  reflection,  and  which 
stimulates  as  well  as  rests. 

The  making  of  pottery  is  one  of  the  oldest  arts, 
practised  even  by  prehistoric  races,  with  the  exception 
of  the  cave  dwellers  of  the  Drift  period.  The  sepul- 
chral barrows  of  Great  Britain  have  yielded  many 
specimens  of  this  work,  and  to-day  the  attention  of 
most  collectors  centers  on  the  pottery  of  England, 
particularly  that  made  in  the  eighteenth  and  the  first 
quarter  of  the  nineteenth  centuries. 

During  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth  there  were 
imported  from  Germany  numbers  of  stoneware  jugs, 
generally  called  Bellarmines,  which  superseded  for 
drinking  purposes  home-made  vessels.  Not  only  these 
German  vessels  but  Delft  ware  and  occasional  pieces 
of  Oriental  ware  and  Italian  faience  also  crept  into 
England,  were  eagerly  sought,  and  brought  good 
prices.  This  stimulated  the  potters  of  England,  who 
had  at  their  command,  right  at  hand,  the  necessary 
materials  in  great  variety  and  abundance. 

From  this  period,  about  1560,  may  be  dated  the  use 
of  the  potter's  art  in  England,  and  many  utensils  were 
made  which  were  not  lacking  in  artistic  feeling  and 
suitability  for  the  purposes  for  which  they  were  used. 
Fifty  years  later  the  mugs  and  jugs  with  many  handles. 


EARLY    POTTERY.  3 

the  posset-pots  and  flagons  were  turned  in  a  superior 
style  of  material,  design  and  workmanship.  During 
the  second  half  of  the  seventeenth  century  many  pot- 
teries started  up  all  over  England,  most  of  them  being 
content  to  imitate  German  stoneware  or  the  Dutch 
Delft.  There  were  a  few  potters  who  were  progressive 
enough  to  try  and  improve  their  old-fashioned  earthen- 
ware, and  of  all  these  early  wares  dated  specimens  are 
still  to  be  found  in  England.  Such  as  are  in  this  coun- 
try are  museum  specimens,  so  we  need  not  go  into  fur- 
ther description. 

As  early  as  i68o  glazing  by  means  of  salt  (a  process 
which  had  been  known  in  Germany  for  many  years) 
became  common,  and  superseded  the  coarse  glaze 
hitherto  known,  which  was  called  "  lead  glaze"  and 
was  opaque.  Eventually  this  salt  glazing  was  im- 
proved upon,  and  the  ware  to  which  it  was  applied 
was  called  "  Crouch-Ware"  (FiG.i).  Even  at  its  best 
all  this  pottery  was  but  rude  ware,  and  the  nobility 
and  gentry  still  clung  to  plate  and  pewter,  and  even 
to  wooden  trenchers. 

The  chartering  of  the  East  India  Trading  Company 
in  1600,  for  carrying  on  business  in  the  East  Indies, 
is  one  of  the  chapters  in  English  history  that  makes 
interesting  reading.  It  was,  perhaps,  the  first  great 
trust  or  "  combine  "  of  which  we  have  record,  and  its 
rapacities  became  so  great  that,  finally,  about  the 
middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  the  Crown  was 
obliged  to  step  in  and  take  away  its  charter.  It  was, 
however,  to  this  company  that  England  was  indebted 
for  the  introduction  of  porcelain  from  the  Orient. 
To  be  sure  a  few  pieces  had  been  brought  in  prior  to 
1600,  but  even   Queen  Bess  regarded  highly  her  two 


4  THE    OLD    CHINA   BOOK. 

cups.  One  was  a  porringer  of  "white  porselyn,"  gar- 
nished with  gold,  a  gift  from  Lord  Burleigh,  and  the 
other  a  cup  of  "  grene  pursselyn,"  given  by  Robert 
Cecil.  We  may  be  very  sure  that  the  canny  queen 
would  have  gathered  in  more  specimens  if  her  loyal 
subjects  had  possessed  much  of  this  "  pursselyn,"  for  at 
New  Year's  time  she  had  the  habit  of  demanding  gifts 
from  rich  and  poor  alike,  even  ginger  from  the  crossing- 
sweeper  was  not  too  small  an  offering  for  her  gracious 
acceptance,  and  she  "  sware  right  lustily  "  if  the  gifts 
were  not  forthcoming  on  time.  By  163 1  the  trading 
company  had  thrown  out  several  tentacles,  and  with 
other  spoils  from  the  East  began  to  bring  in  porcelain. 
The  company  suffered  greatly  because  its  officers  en- 
gaged in  smuggling  "  certain  wares  and  merchandise." 
A  long  list  of  articles  was  drawn  up  which  the  officers 
were  forbidden  to  bring  in,  but  they  were  allowed  to 
bring  home  as  much  china  and  "  purslanes  "  as  they 
desired. 

On  September  25,  1660,  Pepys  (whose  sprightly 
diary  is  a  record  of  all  that  was  doing  about  town  in 
those  days),  says,  "  I  did  send  for  a  cup  of  tee  (a 
China  drink),  of  which  I  never  drank  before."  So  it 
seems  as  if  some  cups  and  bowls  came  in  before  the 
beverage  for  which  they  were  ultimately  used.  Tea 
was  then  so  scarce  in  England  that  the  infusion  of  it 
in  water  was  taxed  by  the  gallon  in  common  with 
chocolate  and  sherbet.  Two  pounds  and  two  ounces 
were,  in  the  same  year,  1659,  formally  presented  to 
the  king  by  the  East  India  Company  as  a  most  valua- 
ble oblation. 

Now  at  this  time  the  vessel  known  as  a  teapot  had 
not  been  invented.     Even  in  the  land  of  the  tea  plant 


Fig.  I.  SALT  GLAZE  PLATE. 


Fig.  2.  TORTOISE-SHELL  MUG. 


Fig.  3.     QUEEN'S  WARE  PITCHER. 


Fig.  4.     WILLOW  P.\TTERX  PLATTER. 


EARLY    POTTERY.  S 

the  almond-eyed  celestial  brewed  his  tea  by  pouring 
hot  water  over  the  leaves  in  a  bowl.  It  was  left  to 
more  recent  times  and  more  civilized  nations  to  use 
such  a  utensil  as  we  call  teapot,  and  to  boil  out  all  the 
injurious  qualities  from  this  cheering  plant.  With 
these  facts  in  mind  a  letter  which  lies  before  me  seems 
a  little  startling.  It  says  "  This  teapot  has  been  in 
our  family  two  hundred  and  fifty  years.  It  is  red  and 
yellow,  and  is  decorated  with  the  coat  of  arms  of 
England.  Can  you  tell  me  who  made  it  ?  "  This  has 
happened  scores  of  times  to  me.  People  of  upright 
and  sterling  character,  many  of  them  possessed  of 
New  England  consciences,  write  me  such  letters.  They 
have  no  scruple  in  adding  a  hundred  or  more  years  to 
the  age  of  a  bit  of  china,  while  they  might  fairly  hesi- 
tate in  taking  off  ten  or  twenty  years  of  their  own 
age  in  the  presence  of  the  census-taker.  It  is  well  to 
fix  in  your  mind  the  date,  1660,  as  the  approximate 
time  when  porcelain  from  the  Orient,  in  plates,  cups 
and  bowls,  first  began  to  appear  in  England.  There 
were  few  teapots  until  nearly  half  a  hundred  years 
later. 

Although,  during  recent  years,  England  may  well  be 
proud  of  her  porcelain  products,  she  has  equal  reason 
to  uphold  the  fame  of  her  pioneer  potters,  when 
among  them  may  be  found  such  names  as  Adams, 
Elers,  Mason,  Mayer,  Meigh,  Ridgway,  Wedgwood 
and  Wood. 

The  term  "  pottery,"  in  its  widest  sense,  includes  all 
objects  made  of  clay,  moulded  into  shape  while  in  a 
moist  state,  and  then  hardened -by  fire.  In  ordinary 
wares,  pottery  and  semi-china,  clay  was  used  which 
had  impurities,  while    the  paste  of   porcelain  is  of  a 


6  THE    OLD   CHINA    BOOK. 

purer  silicate  of  alumina.  The  essential  difference  in 
appearance  between  pottery  and  porcelain  is  that  the 
latter  is  whiter,  harder  and  slightly  translucent.  The 
use  of  pounded  flint  was  the  cause  of  great  improve- 
ments in  earthenware.  The  material  was  mixed 
with  sand  and  pipeclay,  and  coloured  with  oxide  of 
copper  and  manganese,  making  the  agate,  or  combed, 
or  tortoise-shell  ware  which  became  very  popular. 
(Fig.  2.)  This  particular  tortoise-shell  mug,  with  its 
graceful  cover,  is  in  the  Concord  Museum  of  Antiqui- 
ties. It  is  very  light  in  weight,  rich  in  colour,  and  ab- 
solutely perfect.  Pasted  in  the  cover  is  the  following 
legend — "Jonas  Potter,  born  Feby  6,  1740.  Married 
Dec.  30,  1766,  died,  March  7,  182 1."  It  is  the  record 
of  a  whole  life,  and  the  monument  to  this  unknown 
Jonas,  one  frail  mug,  has  outlived  him  more  than 
three-quarters  of  a  century.  It  is  undoubtedly  made 
by  Wheildon,  who  never  identified  his  pieces  by  any 
mark  or  name ;  but  their  workmanship  is  so  superior 
that  they  cannot  be  mistaken,  for  no  imitator  ever 
approached  their  perfection.  The  choicest  pieces  of 
these  wares  were  probably  made  between    1752    and 

1759- 

The  cream-coloured  wares  followed  the  tortoise-shell, 
and  were  named  in  honour  of  Queen  Anne,  who  ad- 
mired them.  They  were  usually  decorated  with  orna- 
ments in  low  relief,  copied  from  the  forms  of  silverware 
of  the  period  (FiG.  3).  After  the  plain  coloured  wares 
came  those  printed  and  painted,  and  this  pottery  was 
by  no  means  lacking  in  beauty  of  form  or  design.  To 
the  collector  the  "  feel "  of  a  piece  of  china  is  almost 
as  great  a  guide  as  its  looks.  The  old  china  had  a 
lightness,   you    almost    may  say    a   softness    (which 


EARLY    POTTERY.  y 

modern  wares  lack),  particularly  that  old  English  ware 
known  as  semi-china. 

The  word  porcelain  comes  from  the  Italian  word 
porcellana,  meaning  cowry-shell,  and  we  commonly 
call  porcelain  ware  china,  because  it  was  first  made  by 
the  Chinese.  Porcelain  is  made  of  a  certain  kind  of 
clay,  which  is  purified  and  then  baked,  producing  a 
hard,  translucent  material,  the  transparency  of  which 
is  regulated  by  its  thickness. 

Paste  is  the  body  or  substance  of  which  the  article 
is  made,  and  may  be  either  hard  or  soft.  Hard  paste 
is  made  of  the  natural  clay,  and  appears,  when  broken, 
sparkling,  fine  grained  and  vitreous.  Soft  paste  is 
more  porous  and  dull,  and  is  made  of  artificial  clays. 
You  may  only  distinguish  the  hardness  or  softness  of 
the  paste  where  there  is  a  clean  chip,  but  it  is  well  to 
remember  that  all  modern  china  is  hard  paste. 

Glaze  is  the  shiny  material  which  covers  the  paste. 
Hard  glaze  is  colourless  and  thin,  making  the  object 
cold  to  the  hands.  Soft  glaze  is  somewhat  gummy  to 
the  touch,  without  the  hard  cold  feeling  which  dis- 
tinguishes hard  glaze,  and  may  be  scratched  with  a 
knife.  The  rims  or  little  rings  on  which  pieces  of 
hard  paste  porcelain  rest  are  left  unglazed.  This  is  an 
easy  method  of  distinguishing  hard  from  soft  paste 
porcelain. 

All  Oriental  china  is  hard  paste.  Hard-glaze  porce- 
lain was  made  at  Plymouth,  Bristol  and  Liverpool. 
Soft  glaze  manufactories  were  at  Bow,  Chelsea,  Derby, 
Worcester,  and  also  at  Liverpool  and  Rockingham. 
The  Staffordshire  porcelain  was  soft  glaze,  but  had 
feldspar  added. 

Biscuit  is  the  technical  term  applied  to  both  pottery 


«  THE   OLD   CHINA   BOOK. 

and  porcelain  before  they  are  enamelled  or  glazed.  It 
is  a  dead  white,  and  does  not  receive  well  colours 
which  need  a  glaze  to  bring  out  their  beauty. 

Faience  is  a  French  word  which  is  applied  to  every 
kind  of  glazed  earthenware,  but  does  not  include 
porcelain.  Majolica,  as  the  term  is  commonly  used, 
means  about  the  same  thing  as  faience,  but  formerly 
it  meant  exclusively  Italian  decorated  pottery  of  the 
fifteenth,  sixteenth,  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  cen- 
turies, made  in  the  old  Italian  style. 

Stoneware  is  seldom  glazed  by  a  "  dip,"  the  glazing 
and  firing  usually  being  done  at  one  time  by  the  in- 
troduction of  salt  in  the  kiln. 

Semi-china  is  made  with  a  large  admixture  of  feld- 
spar, and  is  almost  as  translucent  as  porcelain.  The 
main  differences  in  the  manufacture  of  earthenware, 
stoneware  and  porcelain  are  due  to  a  few  minor  in- 
gredients, to  the  way  they  are  prepared,  and  to  the 
degree  of  heat  to  which  they  are  subjected. 

There  is  one  mark  which  appears  on  new,  old  and 
middle-aged  china  that  causes  much  perturbation  of 
spirit.  As  many  correspondents  say  it  "  is  not  in  the 
books."  This  mark  is  somewhat  diamond-shaped,  with 
a  capital  R  in  the  middle,  and  figures  in  the  angles. 
It  simply  means  "registered,"  showing  that  the  pat- 
tern is  registered. 

On  almost  every  piece  of  this  old  china  ware,  particu- 
larly "  flat "  or  table  ware,  you  will  find  on  the  face  of 
the  piece  three  rough  marks  in  the  glaze.  On  the 
back  of  each  piece  will  also  be  found  rough  marks, 
three  in  a  group,  and  three  groups  at  equal  distances. 
These  are  caused  by  the  "  stilts,"  or  little  tripods 
which    were   put   between    the  pieces   to    keep    them 


EARLYPOTTERY.  9 

separate  when  they  were  fired  in  the  kiln.  They  are 
a  very  good  test  that  the  china  is  old.  When  it  is 
said  that  a  piece  is  in  "proof  condition,"  it  means 
that  it  is  without  crackor  chip,  fine  in  colour  and  print- 
ing, and  not  greased  or  scratched.  A  piece  may  be 
called  perfect,  and  yet  have  some  tiny  surface  crack,  or 
may  show  signs  of  wear,  like  knife  scratches,  but  other- 
wise be  in  perfect  condition.  A  crack  detracts  from 
the  value  more  than  a  chip  or  nick,  even  if  the  latter 
be  on  the  face  of  the  china.  The  term  "greased  "  is 
applied,  when,  by  much  use,  grease  has  penetrated 
the  glaze,  and  spoiled  the  colour. 

The  making  of  pottery  took  rapid  strides  after  the 
opening  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  in  the  period 
between  1722  and  1749  no  less  than  nine  patents  were 
taken  out.  Among  the  earliest  pieces  made  for  domes- 
tic uses  were  the  Bellarmines,  already  spoken  of, 
copied  from  the  German  stoneware,  ale  jugs  and 
various  drinking  vessels,  mugs  and  posset-pots. 

The  name  "mug"  was  singularly  derived  from  the 
fact  that  these  drinking  cups  were  generally  decorated 
with  a  rude,  or  grotesque  face,  or  "  mug."  Posset- 
pots  were  in  popular  use  for  supper  on  Chrismas  eve. 
In  the  tasty  drink,  with  its  spices  and  sippets  of  toast, 
were  dropped  the  wedding  ring  of  the  hostess  and  a 
bit  of  silver  money.  Each  guest  fished  in  turn  after 
taking  a  drink.  The  one  Avho  succeeded  in  rescuing 
the  ring  was  assured  a  speedy  and  happy  marriage, 
while  the  one  who  got  the  coin  was  equally  certain  to 
have  good  luck  for  the  year.  These  pots,  seldom  used 
during  the  year  but  on  this  single  occasion,  were 
handed  down  in  families,  and  may  still  be  found  in 
Great  Britain. 


10  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

The  taste  for  collecting  china  began  very  early  in 
England,  but  it  was  Oriental  china  that  filled  the 
cabinets,  with  sometimes  a  few  pieces  of  Delft,  decor- 
ated in  Chinese  fashion.  Before  1694  Queen  Mary 
had  quite  a  number  of  vases  in  which  she  delighted, 
and  "  on  which  houses,  trees,  bridges  and  mandarins 
were  depicted  in  outrageous  defiance  of  all  laws  of 
perspective."  It  is  a  matter  of  speculation  if  the  vases 
thus  described  had  on  them  designs  similar  to  what  we 
now  know  as  the  "  willow-pattern,"  and  which  every 
English  potter  turned  his  attention  to  at  one  time  or 
another.  They  are  to  be  found  all  over  this  country, 
in  every  shade  of  blue  and  every  degree  of  workman- 
ship. Fig.  4  shows  a  very  fine  example  of  this  pat- 
tern. 

The  china  mania  in  England  reached  its  greatest 
height  in  the  eighteenth  century,  and  all  who  could 
filled  their  houses  with  jars  and  vases,  cups  and  saucers, 
and  "loves  of  monsters,"  without  use  or  beauty. 

Of  all  collectors  Horace  Walpole  was  the  prince, 
and  of  him  it  was  written : 

"  China's  the  passion  of  his  soul ; 
A  cup,  a  plate,  a  dish,  a  bowl, 
Can  kindle  wishes  in  his  breast, 
Inflame  with  joy  or  break  his  rest." 

He  was  so  fond  of  his  brittle  treasures  that  he 
even  washed  them  himself,  though  his  poor  hands 
were  swollen  and  knotted  with  gout.  His  collection 
was,  perhaps,  the  largest  ever  made  by  an  individual. 
It  was  all  gathered  between  1753  and  1776,  and  was 
kept  at  his  Gothic  villa  at  Strawberry  Hill. 

This  priceless  collection  was  sold  in  1842  by  Lord 
Waldegrave  who  inherited  the  property,  and  it  took 


EARLY    POTTERY.  " 

twenty-seven  days  to  dispose  of  all  the  treasures  at 
auction.  It  is  a  pity  that  it  could  not  have  been  left 
to  the  nation,  like  the  unrivalled  Wallace  collection 
of  pictures,  which  was  begun  by  the  third  Marquis  of 
Hertford  at  about  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century. 


CHAPTER  II. 

STAFFORDSHIRE  WARES. 

England  is  not  a  very  large  section  of  the  globe, 
but  the  history  of  the  villages  and  hamlets  which  com- 
prise that  district  in  Staffordshire  known  as  the  "pot- 
teries" would  fill  a  large  volume.  The  potting  dis- 
trict was  over  ten  miles  long  and  comprised  Stoke-on- 
Trent,  Hanley,  Cobridge,  Etruria,  Burslem,  Fenton, 
Tunstall,  Longport,  Shelton,  Lane  End,  and  some 
lesser  known  works. 

Ralph  Shaw,  in  1733,  patented  a  salt-glazed  ware, 
brown  and  white  outside  and  white  within.  The 
patent  did  not  hold,  however,  and  his  rivals  copied 
and  improved  on  his  ware  with  great  rapidity.  Wedg- 
wood has  always  been  a  famous  name  among  potters, 
and  as  early  as  the  seventeenth  century  there  was  a 
Wedgwood  potting  at  Burslem.  The  Staffordshire 
potters  who  are  of  chief  interest  to  us,  may  be  said  to 
begin  with  Enoch  Wood,  generally  referred  to  as 
"The  Father  of  the  Pottery,"  who  went  into  business 
in  1784,  and  who  made  all  kinds  of  table  ware,  pitch- 
ers, punch  bowls,  and  even  statuettes.  By  this  time, 
just  after  the  Revolution,  we  were  recovering  from 
our  struggles,  and  anxious  for  more  comforts  than  we 
had  hitherto  demanded.  Enoch  Wood  was  practical 
enough  to  seize  upon  the  occasion,  and  turned  out 
from  his  pottery  quantities  of  ware,  serviceable,  attrac- 
tive  and  cheap.     He  did   more   than   this,  he  made 


Fig.  5.     CITY  OF  ALBANY.     J!'oo<f. 


Fig.  6.     "CHIEF  JUSTICE  MARSHALL."    (Troy  Line.)     U'aoJ. 


Fig.  7-     SHIP  "CADMUS."     ITood. 


rm 


Fig.  8.     WOOD  AND  CALDWELL  JUG. 


STAFFORDSHIRE   WARES.  13 

ware  particularly  for  the  American  market,  and  used 
incidents  and  scenes  which  appealed  in  a  peculiar  way 
to  the  growing  nation.  The  art  of  printing  on  pottery 
had  now  become  well  known.  Richard  Sadler  had 
been  practising  it  as  early  as  1752,  and  though,  for 
many  years,  only  black  was  used  yet  blue  was  found 
to  run  equally  as  well.  The  designs  were  engraved 
on  copper,  and  impressions  made  on  tissue  paper, 
with  prepared  paints  mixed  with  oil,  and  transferred 
to  the  pottery.  The  deep,  rich  blue  we  admire  so 
much  recommended  itself  on  account  of  its  cheapness 
and  durability,  for  although  to-day  we  pay,  with  the 
greatest  eagerness,  twenty-three  dollars  for  a  tiny 
cup-plate,  three  and  one  half  inches  wide,  it  was  made 
to  sell  for  three  pence  or  even  less.  Although  we 
cannot  say  with  assurance  just  why  blue  was  chosen, 
the  fact  remains  that  all  the  Staffordshire  potters  used 
it,  and  to  great  advantage. 

There  is  a  certain  style  of  design  known  as  "  flow 
blue,"  which  has  nondescript  patterns,  flowers,  geomet- 
ric designs,  and  occasionally  landscapes,  and  which 
has  nothing  whatever  of  beauty  or  interest  to  recom- 
mend it,  but  which  was  sent  over  here  in  quantities, 
and  of  which  there  is  still  much  to  be  found. 

Of  all  discouragements  which  a  china  collector  has 
to  meet,  the  very  worst  is  flowing  blue,  next  comes 
the  inevitable  willow  pattern,  which  every  English 
potter  made  at  one  time  or  another,  and  which  is  as 
plentiful  as  blades  of  grass.  It  varies  in  colour  from 
the  fine  old  blue,  to  a  tint  so  reddish  as  to  be  almost 
purple,  and  is  shown  in  every  degree  of  clearness.  It 
is  worth  next  to  nothing,  but  owners  of  it  hold  it  at 
the  very  highest  market  price. 


M  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

After  the  rage  for  old  blue  had  somewhat  subsided, 
say  between  1835  and  1850,  some  of  the  potters  took 
to  printing  scenes  from  all  over  the  world,  in  various 
colours,  red,  green,  etc.  This  second  period  lacked  the 
interest  of  the  first,  for  the  pieces  were  less  meritori- 
ous and  decidedly  inartistic.  Many  of  them  are  held 
in  this  country,  and  I  am  in  receipt  of  scores  of  let- 
ters asking  if  they  are  not  as  valuable  as  old  blue. 
Perhaps  I  should  say  instead  that  the  owners  think 
they  are  as  valuable  as  old  blue,  and  ask  if  this  is  not 
the  case. 


Enoch  Wood, 

The  list  of  Staffordshire  potters  should  begin  (after 
we  except  Wedgwood,  who  will  be  treated  in  a  separ- 
ate chapter),  with  the  name  of  Wood.  Ralph  Wood 
was  succeeded  by  his  son  Aaron,  a  clever  cutter  of 
moulds  for  salt-glazed  stoneware  with  perforated  and 
raised  borders.  About  1783  Enoch,  youngest  son  of 
Ralph,  started  in  the  potting  business  for  himself.  He 
had  been  a  sculptor  and  had  modelled  busts  of  many 
celebrated  persons.  Enoch,  as  before  mentioned,  is 
the  one  who  is  of  the  most  interest  to  us,  as  the  bulk 
of  his  work  was  made  for,  and  sent  to,  this  country. 
Although  a  prosperous  and  prolific  potter,  English 
writers  on  pottery  give  him  scant  mention,  and  know 
little  about  his  work  for  the  American  market.  In 
their  own  country  the  Woods,  Ralph,  Aaron  and 
Enoch,  are  known  principally  for  their  successful 
figure  work  and  busts,  rather  than  for  their  flat  ware. 


ST  AFFORDSHIRE    WARES.  15 

There  are  two  of  these  busts  in  the  Boston  Museum 
of  Fine  Arts,  made  about  1781,  of  the  Rev.  John 
Wesley  and  of  John  Whitfield. 

They  also  made  blue  and  white  jasper  and  black 
ware.  They  marked  few  of  these  pieces,  admirable 
though  they  were,  and  this  practice  they  carried  out 
in  much  of  the  china  sent  to  this  country.  The  pieces 
they  did  mark  were  sometimes  impressed,  the  mark 
being  circular  and  an  inch  in  diameter.  In  the  center 
is  an  eagle  with  a  shield  and  below  him  "  Semi-china." 
Surrounding  this  are  the  words  "  E.  Wood  &  Sons, 
Burslem,  Warranted."  In  addition  to  the  impressed 
mark  is  frequently  found  a  mark  in  blue,  consisting  of 
the  name  of  the  scene,  an  eagle  with  a  branch  in  his 
claws,  and  a  scroll  flowing  from  his  mouth  with  the 
words  •'  E  Pluribus  Unum." 

It  is  perhaps  well  for  us  that  it  seems  to  have  been 
a  custom  among  these  potters  to  design  certain  bor- 
ders, which  grew  to  be  as  distinctive  a  mark  of  the  firm 
employing  them  as  the  stamped  name.  Enoch  Wood 
chose  sea-shells,  and  of  this  border  there  were  two 
arrangements  : 

First.  The  central  view  is  shown  in  a  circle,  and  a 
cockle  shell  is  conspicuous  in  the  border.  Name  of 
scene  on  the  back  (See  FiG.  5). 

Second.  The  central  view  in  irregular  opening. 
Shell  border  but  without  cockles.  Name  of  scene 
generally  on  face  (See  FiG.  6). 

In  this  same  series  are  three  views  of  the  ship  Cad- 
mus, which  brought  Lafayette  to  this  country,  as  a 
guest,  in  1824.  It  was  fitted  up  by  a  patriotic  Ameri- 
can merchant,  who  placed  it  at  the  General's  disposal. 
TMs  was  only  one  incident  of  the  many  that  showed 


i6  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

to  our  guest  that  for  once,  at  least,  a  republic  was  not 
ungrateful  (FiG.  7). 

As  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  index,  there 
were  very  many  more  examples  of  the  first  pattern 
than  of  the  second,  though  the  latter  makes  rather 
the  prettier  plate.  The  firm  name  changed  in  1790  to 
Wood  &  Caldwell,  when  James  Caldwell  was  taken 
into  the  business.  This  partnership  lasted  but  two 
years,  and  the  name  was  changed  to  Enoch  Wood  & 
Co.,  and  then,  in  1818,  to  Enoch  Wood  &  Sons. 

In  Fig.  8  we  show  a  sample  of  the  work  turned  out 
during  the  brief  period  when  Caldwell  was  in  the  firm, 
that  is  from  1790  to  1792.  It  makes  this  jug  over 
one  hundred  and  ten  years  old.  The  body  is  a  light 
shade  of  blue,  highly  glazed,  and  the  figures  and 
ornaments  are  in  white.  It  is  a  charming  piece,  and 
must  have  been  well  made,  for  that  it  has  been  put  to 
severe  usage  is  most  evident ;  the  inside  is  a  perfect 
net-work  of  fine  cracks.  It  was  picked  up  in  London 
half  a  dozen  years  since  in  a  curiosity  shop,  and  was 
a  part  of  odds  and  ends  which  came  from  the  sale  of 
the  effects  of  Lord  Chief  Justice  Coleridge,  the  emi- 
nent English  jurist,  who  received  great  honours  during 
a  visit  to  America  some  years  previous. 

I  have  seen  in  similar  ware,  also  marked  Wood 
&  Caldwell,  a  charming  eight-inch-high  flower-pot  and 
saucer.  It  stands  on  the  mantelshelf  in  a  quaint  old 
house,  on  the  same  spot  where  it  has  stood  for  fifty 
years,  a  receptacle  for  neatly  rolled  bits  of  string.  It 
has  passed  down  through  many  generations,  and  the 
present  owner  never  remembers  it  put  to  any  other 
use  or  in  any  other  spot  than  where  it  now  stands. 

There  is  one  other  piece  of  Wood  &  Caldwell's  work 


Fig.  lo.     I,AKE  GEORGE.  N.  V.     JfooJ. 


Fig.  II.     CASTLE  GARDEN  AND  BATTERY.     UW;/. 


Fig.  12.     THREE  HUDSON  RIVER  PLATES.     Wood. 
WEST  POINT.  NEWBURG.  CATSKILL  MT.  HOUSE. 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES.  17 

which  I  have  seen,  and  which  is  so  unique  and  beauti- 
ful that  it  deserves  mention.  It  is  also  a  pitcher,  in 
size  and  shape  like  the  one  in  the  figure,  except  that 
the  blue  background  is  a  somewhat  handsomer  shade. 
It  was  made  for  a  Miss  Caldwell,  sister  of  James,  and 
in  this  case  the  figures  of  children  .  playing  were 
coloured  according  to  nature,  with  gowns  of  the  pret- 
tiest pale  shades  of  pink,  straw-colour  and  green. 
The  grouping  is  very  lovely,  and  nearly  identical 
with  some  of  the  designs  made  by  Lady  Templeton  for 
Wedgwood.  Miss  Caldwell  came  to  this  country 
many  years  ago,  and  died  here,  and  the  jug  has 
remained  in  the  possession  of  her  descendants.  Un- 
fortunately the  condition  of  the  jug  is  poor,  though 
handle  and  lip  are  still  perfect.  Some  of  the  figures 
have  peeled  off,  showing  that  they  were  cast  in  moulds 
and  then  stuck  on  while  the  clay  was  wet,  and  before 
glazing.  The  name  Wood  &  Caldwell  is  printed  in 
capital  letters,  impressed  in  a  straight  line. 

"  Wood  "  alone  is  sometimes  found  impressed,  and 
stands  for  the  period  before  the  sons  were  admitted  to 
the  firm.  E.  W.  &  S.  is  also  found  on  many  pieces 
printed  in  black,  or  in  the  colour  of  the  design  on  the 
face.     These  are  all  of  a  later  period. 

The  great  bulk  of  the  china  made  by  the  Woods  has 
the  name  Enoch,  or  E.  Wood  &  Sons,  either  impressed 
or  stamped  in  blue  on  the  back.  An  impressed  stamp 
is  made  in  the  moist  clay  before  glazing,  and  sometimes 
is  almost  filled  up  by  the  glaze,  so  that  it  is  hard  to 
distinguish.  The  blue  marks  may  be  put  on  either 
under  or  over  glaze,  and  consist  of  the  firm  name 
sometimes  the  name  of  the  pattern,  and  occasionally 
a  wreath,  scroll,  or  an  eagle  with  the  words  "  E  Pluri- 


i8  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

bus  Unum."  The  words  "stone,"  "  stone  china,"  of 
"  semi-china,"  are  also  sometimes  used. 

The  Woods  made  forty  or  more  views  of  our  scenery 
from  sketches  and  prints,  and  most  of  them  are  valu- 
able historical  documents  in  the  story  of  our  country's 
progress.  They  not  only  made  flat  ware,  as  plates, 
platters,  low  vegetable  dishes,  etc.,  were  called,  but 
toilet  sets  and  pitchers  as  well.  FiG.  9  shows  a  fine 
dish,  probably  a  platter  for  a  soup  tureen,  seventeen 
inches  long,  and  perfect.  Besides  the  words  "  Catskill, 
N.  Y.,"  it  has  on  the  back,  in  blue,  "  E  Pluribus 
Unum,"  and  an  eagle.  The  border  on  this  piece  is 
unusually  handsome  and  clear.  FiG.  10  is  another 
piece  which  belongs,  like  FiG.  9,  to  class  one.  It  is  a 
view  of  Lake  George,  N.  Y.,  and  has  markings  similar 
to  Fig.  9  on  the  back. 

There  are  curious  details  to  be  noted  in  collecting 
this  old  china.  You  never  seem  to  find  a  piece  per- 
taining to  a  particular  locality  in  the  place  it  celebrates. 
If  you  want  a  view  of  Albany  you  might  begin  your 
search  in  Buffalo,  and  vice  versa.  The  city  of  Roch- 
ester, so  far  as  is  known,  has  but  two  plates  bearing 
the  Rochester  aqueduct,  and  both  were  found  out  of 
the  state. 

Fig.  1 1  shows  one  of  Wood's  most  celebrated  pieces. 
Castle  Garden  and  the  Battery,  N.  Y.  I  am  repeatedly 
asked  by  owners  how  much  their  pieces  are  worth,  and 
have  invented  an  answer  to  suit  all  cases.  "  Whatever 
you  can  get  for  it."  If  you  can  find  a  collector  who  is 
very  anxious  to  have  the  particular  piece  you  hold,  you 
rather  command  the  market,  for  the  china  collector  is 
ever  haunted  by  the  fear  that  if  he  hesitates  some 
other  "  fiend  "  will  rush  in  and  get  his  treasure.     Sup- 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES.  19 

pose  that  you  sell  to  a  dealer,  you  will  get  the  very 
lowest  price  he  can  induce  you  to  take,  and  if  you  sell 
at  auction, — well,  it  depends  much  upon  the  weather 
and  the  auctioneer.  The  mate  to  the  platter  which 
is  shown  brought  at  auction  in  New  York  City,  at  the 
Gilbert  Sale,  November  8,  1901,  one  hundred  and 
seven  dollars  and  fifty  cents.  It  is  eighteen  inches 
long  and  in  proof  condition.  The  price  certainly  is 
exorbitant,  but  though  it  may  never  be  reached  again, 
it  is  matter  of  record  that  it  has  been  given  once. 
The  platter,  though  interesting,  as  a  mere  pictorial 
piece  is  less  attractive  than  many  others,  less  rich  in 
colour,  as.  though  deep,  it  is  dull.  One  is  glad  to  note 
many  little  curious  details  such  as  the  footbridge 
between  Castle  Garden  and  the  mainland.  It  gives  an 
idea  of  the  beauty  of  the  old  Battery  Walk  where  the 
"  Four  Hundred  "  of  those  days  came  forth  of  an  after- 
noon to  walk  up  and  down  in  the  shade  and  enjoy  the 
sea-breeze.  This  Battery,  which  is  now  given  over  to 
the  immigrant,  elevated  road  and  the  aquarium,  was 
built  as  early  as  1692.  It  retains  nothing  of  what  it 
was  originally  except  its  name,  for  it  was  constructed 
"  to  make  a  platform  upon  the  outmost  point  of  rocks 
under  the  fort  to  command  both  rivers."  For  many 
years  the  Battery  was  the  City's  parade  ground.  Here 
the  Pulaski  Cadets,  the  Light  Guard,  the  red-coated 
City  Guards,  and  the  Tompkins  Blues  went  through 
countless  evolutions  before  the  eyes  of  the  admiring 
townsfolk.  Here,  also,  was  played  between  the  Red 
Stockings  and  the  Blue  Stockings  the  national  game. 
Innumerable  pleasure  boats  sailed  up  and  down,  and 
the  land  faintly  seen  in  the  distance  is  Governor's 
Island,   which    was  owned  by  the  War  Department 


so  THE    OLD   CHINA   BOOK. 

even  before  1812,  and  on  which  was  a  fort  to  guard 
the  Narrows. 

The  old  fort  on  the  Battery  was  first  called  "  Fort 
Manhattan."  This  was  as  early  as  1614.  It  soon 
was  too  small  for  the  thriving  Dutch  colony,  and  a 
new  one  was  built  called  Fort  Amsterdam.  In  1664 
the  English  captured  the  city  and  fort,  and  re-named 
the  latter,  in  honour  of  the  Duke  of  York,  Fort  James. 
It  did  not  hold  this  name  long,  for  in  1684  the  Dutch 
recaptured  it  and  re-christened  it  Fort  William  Henry. 
This  was  its  briefest  experience  with  any  name,  for  in 
a  few  months  the  English  got  it  back,  and  once  more 
it  was  Fort  James.  After  this  it  was  successively  Fort 
William,  Fort  Anne  in  1702,  and  Fort  George  in  1714, 
and  so  it  continued  until,  in  the  year  1789,  it  was 
demolished  as  useless. 

Picturesque  views  of  the  Hudson  River  and  of  some 
of  the  thriving  towns  on  the  banks  are  frequently 
found  in  the  blue,  as  well  as  in  other  colours.  Wood 
made  some  charming  ones.  In  FiG.  12  there  are  three 
such,  each  of  the  pieces  being  six-inch  plates  and  hav- 
ing come  together  in  one  collection  from  different 
parts  of  the  United  States.  The  shell  border  shows 
us  that  they  are  by  Wood,  and  the  name  of  each  view 
is  on  the  back.  The  central  view  is  the  Hudson 
River  near  Newburg.  The  plate  on  the  right  shows 
the  Catskill  Mountain  House,  and  on  the  left  we  have 
West  Point.  The  scenes  look  decidedly  unfamiliar  to 
our  modern  eyes. 

The  year  1820  was  distinguished  as  completing  the 
second  century  since  New  England's  shores  were 
"  first  impressed  by  the  footsteps  of  those  who  gave  an 
empire  birth."     This  event  was  celebrated  in  Boston 


Fig.  13.    LANDING  OF  THE 
PILGRIMS,     lyood. 


FiK.  14.     LANDING  OF  THE 
PILGRIMS  PITCHER.     H'ood. 


Fig.  15.     ROCHESTER,  LITTLE  FALLS.  UTICA,     Wood. 
(Erie  Canal  Plates.^ 


Fig.  16.    TABLE  ROCK,  NIAGARA. 
IVood. 


Fig.  17.    FALLS  OF  MONTMORENCY, 
NEAR  QUEBEC,     irooti. 


Fig.  i8      WOMAN  OF  SAMARL\.     iroad. 


Fig.  19.     MARINE  HOSPITAL, 
LOUISVILLE,  KY.     l-Food. 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES.  ai 

by  a  banquet,  at  which  Daniel  Webster  delivered  the 
commemorative  address  which  has  become  a  classic  in 
our  literature.  The  entire  dinner  service  was  made  in 
England  by  Enoch  Wood  &  Sons  and  appropriately 
decorated  with  a  representation  of  the  "  Landing  of  the 
Pilgrims."  It  is  some  of  the  handsomest  china  put  out 
by  this  conscientious  firm,  and  has  a  central  view  of  a 
boat  coming  ashore  and  the  astonished  Indians  regard- 
ing it  (Fig.  13).  The  border  is  very  handsome,  of 
scrolls  and  four  medallions,  two  of  them  showing  ships 
and  two  of  them  inscriptions.  The  top  one  says 
"America  Independent,  July  4,  1776,"  and  the  lower 
one  "Washington,  born  1732,  died  1792."  On  a  rock 
in  the  picture  are  the  names  of  some  of  the  pilgrims. 

Besides  the  dinner  service  itself  a  small  surplus 
was  made,  which  was  sold  as  souvenirs.  We  give,  in 
Fig.  14,  one  of  the  pitchers,  on  which  the  arrangement 
was  a  little  different  from  that  on  the  flat  ware.  The 
pieces  are  always  in  demand,  and  a  ten-inch  plate,  in 
proof  condition,  should  bring  about  fifteen  dollars, 
though  three  were  sold  at  the  Haigh  sale  in  Boston, 
for  fourteen  dollars  and  a  ha/f,  eleven  dollars,  and 
eight  dollars,  respectively. 

Rarest  of  all  Wood's  plates  are  two  that  are  shown  in 
Fig.  15.  They  are  in  the  rich  blue,  with  very  hand- 
some borders  of  large  flowers,  and  commemorate  the 
opening  of  the  Erie  Canal,  that  great  event  in  the 
history  of  New  York  State,  which  took  place  October 
26,  1825.  There  are  three  of  these  plates,  the  aque- 
ducts at  Rochester  and  Little  Falls,  and  the  entrance 
of  the  canal  into  the  Hudson  at  Albany.  We  give  the 
Rochester  plate  on  the  left,  size  seven  and  a  half 
inches,  and  the  Little  Falls  in  the  center.     This  latter 


22  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

plate  has  been  found  of  two  sizes,  ten-inch  soup-plate 
and  eight-inch  plate.  These  plates  are  not  marked 
except  on  the  face  with  the  name  of  the  view,  but  a 
washbowl  is  on  record  with  the  Albany  view  and  the 
floral  border  and  with  the  impressed  mark  of  E.  Wood 
&  Sons.  As  late  as  1806  the  town  of  Little  Falls,  two 
hundred  miles  from  New  York,  was  regarded  as  very 
much  in  the  backwoods,  and  an  English  traveller  relates 
with  wonder  that  at  an  "  inn  there  they  had  a  tablecloth 
on  the  table,  with  plates,  knives  and  forks.  That  the 
breakfast  was  very  good,  consisting  of  tea,  bread  and 
butter,  steak,  eggs  and  cheese,  potatoes,  beets  and 
salt."  All  this  prof usion  was  furnished  for  twenty-five 
cents.  This  was  nearly  twenty  years  before  the  plate 
was  made.  The  Table  Rock,  Niagara,  plates  are  also 
much  esteemed  and  sell  for  good  prices.  FiG.  16  shows 
one. 

There  is  also  china  of  a  much  less  artistic  value 
made  by  this  firm,  sometimes  in  one  colour  and  some- 
times in  two,  such  as  the  Washington  vase,  which  is 
marked  on  the  back  "Pearl  Stoneware,  Washington 
Vase,"  and  below  "  E.  W.  &  Co."  There  is  also  the 
Washington  memorial,  blue  and  black,  or  red  and 
green,  with  border  of  urns  and  willows,  marked  on  the 
back  ♦'  E.  W.  &  S.  "  The  shapes  of  the  plates  are 
pretty  but  the  printing  is  badly  done,  the  design  is 
almost  grotesque,  and  the  colour  feeble. 

There  were  many  American  designs  made  about  the 
same  time,  signed  "  E.  W.  &  S.,"  and  given  the  name 
of  "Celtic  China."  They  were  printed  in  various 
colours,  including  light  blue  and  green,  and  command  a 
very  small  sum  to-day,  their  only  value  being  as  heir- 
looms.    The  Woods  made  a  few  views  of  Canadian 


STAFFORDSHIRE   WARES.  aj 

scenes  also,  one  of  which,  the  "  Falls  of  Montmorency, 
near  Quebec,"  is  given  in  FiG.  I7.  It  has  the  shell 
border  and  is  a  very  handsome  plate. 

There  were  also  made  by  this  same  firm,  in  dark 
blue,  a  set  of  scriptural  pictures  on  china,  with  a  bor- 
der of  flowers  and  scrolls,  with  scriptural  devices.  In 
Fig.  18  we  give  one  of  these  called  *' Christ  and  the 
Woman  of  Samaria."  These  designs  seem  to  have 
been  held  in  greater  respect  than  the  pieces  which  we 
call  historical,  probably  on  account  of  the  significance 
of  the  decoration.  There  were  also  some  few  designs 
made  by  this  firm  in  other  colours  than  blue,  called  the 
"  Sun  of  Righteousness "  series,  on  account  of  the 
border  which  shows  a  rising  sun  as  a  feature  of  the 
decoration. 

During  the  last  two  years  much  interest  has  been 
aroused  in  the  gathering  together  of  English  views, 
made  by  the  same  potters,  and  at  about  the  same 
period  as  the  American  scenes.  As  recently  as  eighteen 
or  twenty  months  ago  the  pieces  could  have  been 
picked  up  for  the  proverbial  song;  but  every  day  sees 
them  soar  in  price,  and  new  collections  are  being  started 
in  every  direction.  Attics  and  closets  are  being  ran- 
sacked, and  these  pieces,  which  were  neglected  by  col- 
lectors  of  Anglo-American  scenes,  are  coming  to  the 
fore  in  a  rapid  manner.  In  all  this  desire  for  these 
pieces  it  is  hard  to  know  of  cupboards  and  bureaus, 
closets  and  presses  being  filled  to  overflowing  with 
specimens  of  this  precious  china.  I  know  such  a  place 
in  a  lumberman's  office  in  New  York  State.  All  his 
treasures  are  hidden  away  ;  he  seldom  looks  at  them; 
few  people  know  that  he  has  them.  If  you  attempt 
to  buy,  even  offering   very   tempting  prices,  he  will 


84  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

shuffle  about,  giving  one  excuse  after  another  until 
the  final  one  comes,  "  Mother  would  not  like  it  if  I 
sold  that  one,"  the  truth  being  that  "  mother  "  neither 
knows  nor  cares  about  them.  I  doubt  if  she  is  aware 
of  their  number  or  value.  This  same  hoarder  has  the 
curious  fancy  of  collecting  old  clocks,  not  the  "grand- 
father" pattern,  but  a  large  mantel  clock,  with  carved 
side  pillars  and  top  and  with  painted  glass  pictures  in 
the  door.  He  does  not  care  for  them  as  clocks,  and 
immediately  removes  the  works,  substituting  one  or 
two  pine  shelves,  and  using  them  as  cupboards. 
Some  of  them  are  of  great  rarity  and  beauty  and  it 
would  drive  a  collector  wild  to  see  the  uses  to  which 
they  are  put.  Old  papers,  bottles,  and  occasionally 
china  are  tucked  away  in  them,  their  narrowness 
precluding  their  being  used  for  storage  of  articles  of 
any  size. 

For  actual  beauty  of  design  the  English  views  excel 
the  American  for  the  reason  that  the  subjects  that 
they  depict  are  of  greater  beauty.  Old  and  famous 
castles,  manor  houses  and  cathedrals  possess  more 
picturesque  lines  than  our  early  buildings,  and  besides 
the  glamour  of  antiquity,  most  of  them  have  been 
made  famous  by  their  owners  or  builders,  and  by  the 
history  which  has  clustered  about  them.  The  Woods 
made  perhaps  a  hundred  of  such  views,  over  eighty 
have  already  been  recorded,  and  more  are  constantly 
coming  to  hand.  On  one  set  they  used  a  shell  border 
of  a  different  arrangement  from  those  with  which 
we  are  familiar  on  American  ware,  and  this  is  rather 
handsomer  and  more  carefully  worked  out.  The 
opening  is  irregular,  and  the  name  of  the  view  is 
introduced  on  the  face.     There  are  twelve  or  fifteen 


Fig.  21.    WARWICK  CASTLE,     ll'ood. 


Fig.  22.     ELY.     IFoot^. 


Fig.  23.     MILL  AT  CHARENTON.     H'ooii. 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES.  25 

views  in  this  set,  of  places  generally,  Hke  Yarmouth, 
Isle  of  Wight,  Dublin,  Cowes,  etc. 

A  second  set,  called  "  London  Views,"  has  the  scene 
in  an  oblong  medallion,  with  a  frame-like  margin,  and 
the  entire  border  of  the  plate  or  platter  is  covered 
with  large  bunches  of  grapes.  This  border  is 
completely  in  accord  with  the  laws  of  design,  for  it 
fills  agreeably  the  space  for  which  it  is  intended,  is 
decorative,  and  the  pattern  of  it  is  pleasing  to  the  eye. 
The  scenes  in  this  set  are  chiefly  from  Regent's  Park. 
One  of  them  is  the  Limehouse  Dock,  Regent's  Canal, 
with  which  we  are  more  familiar  to-day  from 
Whistler's  etching,  made  about  forty  years  ago 
(Fig.  20).  The  names  of  these  places  are  in  a  scroll 
with  leaves,  the  words  "  London  Views  "  being  at  the 
top,  and  below  it  the  name  of  the  particular  object, 
and  below  that,  "  Regent's  Park." 

The  third  series  is  of  country  seats  and  castles, 
many  of  them  well  known  to  us,  like  Warwick  and 
Windsor  castles,  Kenilworth  and  Guy's  Cliff.  The 
border  to  this  set  is  flowers  and  grapes,  with  vines, — 
morning  glories  probably, — and  on  the  edge  is  a 
twisted  margin.  The  name  of  each  place  is  on  the 
back,  in  a  sort  of  ribbon  scroll  with  a  few  leaves. 

The  fourth  set,  "  English  Cities",  is  marked  on  the 
back  "  E.  W.  &  S.,"  has  the  name  of  the  series,  and  of 
the  particular  city  on  two  scrolls,  which  are  surrounded 
by  a  bishop's  mitre  and  staff.  The  border  is  very 
unlike  what  we  are  familiar  with  as  coming  from  this 
firm,  and  is  not  unlike  the  borders  made  by  Jackson. 
It  has  six  medallions,  and  a  very  rich  arrangement  of 
flowers  and  scrolls,  and  the  central  view  is  set  in  a 
regular  circle  or  oval,  separated  from  the  border  by  an 


26  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

ornamental  little  pattern.  These  pieces  are  printed  in 
different  colours,  including  light  blue,  and,  on  account 
of  the  beauty  of  the  scenes,  and  the  careful  workman- 
ship are  very  handsome.  There  are  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  twenty  of  these  views  so  far  identified.  (FiG. 
22  shows  Ely.) 

Foreign  designs  made  by  this  firm  are  not  hard  to 
find  in  this  country,  particularly  a  set  of  French  views 
connected  in  one  way  or  another  with  Lafayette. 
The  border  is  very  pretty  and  not  so  stiff  as  the  shell 
ones  which  have  been  shown,  and  is  composed  of 
fieurs-de-lys,  hollyhocks  and  bunches  of  grapes,  pen- 
dant across  the  top.     (FiG.  23,  "  Mill  at  Charenton.") 

In  addition  to  the  views  already  enumerated,  E. 
Wood  &  Sons  produced  many  views  of  scenery 
characteristic  of  other  countries,  India,  Africa,  Italy, 
etc.  They  are  to  be  found  in  considerable  numbers, 
among  them  being  such  well-known  places  as  Calcutta 
and  "  Cape  Coast  Castle  on  the  Gold  Coast,  Africa." 
"A  Ship  of  the  Line  in  the  Downs,"  is  made  to  ap- 
peal to  our  national  pride  by  bearing  a  large  Ameri- 
can flag. 


Andrew   Stevenson. 
Ralph  and  James   Clews. 

Next  in  importance  to  the  Woods,  as  having  pro- 
duced valuable  and  beautiful  pottery,  comes  the  name 
of  Clews.  In  this  case,  as  in  those  of  several  other 
potters,  there  were  two  brothers,  and  Ralph  and  James 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES.  27 

Clews  have  left  their  name  on  much  highly  desirable 
pottery  and  semi-china.  Before  taking  up  properly 
the  product  of  the  Clews  pottery  we  must  speak  of 
the  potter  who  immediately  preceded  them  at  the 
Cobridge  works,  Andrew  Stevenson.  As  early  in  the 
last  century  as  1808  pottery  works  were  established 
at  Cobridge,  Staffordshire,  England,  by  the  f^rm  of 
Bucknall  &  Stevenson.  They  seem  to  have  made 
the  ordinary  English  wares,  but  after  a  few  years 
Bucknall  withdrew,  and  Stevenson  carried  on  the  works 
alone.  It  was  not  long  before  he  began  to  work 
largely  to  please  the  American  market,  and  though  he 
turned  out  only  about  twenty  odd  American  designs, 
every  one  of  them  is  good  in  colour  and  workmanship. 
He  also  had  an  advantage  over  many  of  his  contempora- 
ries in  getting  some  better  sketches  to  work  from  than 
the  crude  prints  which  were  sent  over  from  here.  An 
artist  from  Dublin,  W.  G.  Wall,  Esq.,  came  to  this 
country  in  1818,  and  made  quite  a  number  of  sketches 
of  our  prominent  buildings.  (FiGS  24  and  25  are  of 
the  Almshouse,  New  York,  and  Columbia  College.) 

It  must  have  been  arranged  beforehand  that  he 
should  furnish  these  to  the  Stevenson  works,  for  he 
began  to  send  them  back  to  England  very  soon  after 
his  arrival  here.  A  number  of  designs  were  issued 
with  his  name  in  blue  on  the  back  of  each  piece,  and 
yet  these  pottery  works  were  sold  by  Stevenson  to 
the  Clews  brothers  late  in  that  year,  or  early  in  1 8 19. 
In  Fig.  26  is  one  of  the  views  on  a  ten-inch  plate.  It 
is  a  rare  piece,  New  York  from  Brooklyn  Heights. 
This  view  is  shown  upon  plates  and  platters,  the  view 
being  different  on  the  two  pieces.  See  FiG.  27.  It  is 
marked    very    plainly    on    the  back   in    blue,    under- 


28  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

glaze,  and  bears  Wall's  name  as  well.  He  chose  some 
curious  subjects  for  his  brush,  among  them  a  view  of 
"Weehawk"  as  he  calls  it.  The  smaller  plate  in 
Fig.  26  is  one  of  a  dozen  or  more  with  similar  bor- 
der, which  come  at  present  under  the  heading  "  Maker 
Unknown."  It  is  a  view  on  the  Hudson  River  near 
Fishkill.  A  plate  has  recently  been  found  bearing  the 
name  of  Stevenson,  but  having  a  shell  border  like 
Wood's. 

Ralph  Stevenson,  who  also  potted  at  Cobridge,  but 
some  years  later,  is  considered  in  another  chapter. 
They  both  used  as  a  mark  the  name  "  Stevenson  " 
impressed.  A  circular  stamp,  impressed,  of  a  crown, 
surrounded  by  the  words  "  Stevenson,  Warranted 
Staffordshire,"  comes  on  many  pieces,  which  also  bear 
the  name  of  the  view  in  blue,  with  an  eagle.  Some- 
times an  urn  is  found,  with  a  bit  of  drapery  about  it 
and  the  name  of  the  scene.  This  is  not  common  on 
American  pieces. 

Andrew  Stevenson  made  a  series  of  very  beautiful 
English  views  with  floral  borders,  and  is  supposed  to 
be  the  maker  of  FiG.  82,  which  is  shown  among  the 
portrait  pieces  and  spoken  of  there.  All  the  English 
views  were  made  about  the  same  time  as  the  American 
views,  say  from  1820  to  1840,  and  many  of  them  seem 
of  quite  a  superior  degree  of  workmanship.  The  bor- 
der in  the  English  series  is  large  flowers,  roses  with 
leaves,  etc.,  the  same  border  in  fact  as  is  found  on  the 
four-medallion  plate  with  Niagara  view  (FiG.  82).  The 
series  consists  of  about  twenty  views,  and  all  form  very 
decorative  pieces  for  shelf  or  wall.  They  are  marked 
with  an  urn,  and  plates  and  platters  are  the  pieces 
usually  found. 


Fig.  26.     FISHKILL. 
Maker  unknoivn. 


NEW   YORK  FROM  BROOKLYN 

A.  SteTfuson. 


Fig.  27.     PLATTER  OF  NEW  YciRK   1  R.  ).M   1;R(  m  iKLYN  HE.GHi-S. 
A.  Stevenson. 


LANDING  OF  LAFAYETTE, 

aews. 


Fig.  30.     PITTSFIELD  ELM.     Cle^vs. 


Fig.  29.     STATES  PLATTER.     CleTus. 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES.  29 

It  was  Andrew  Stevenson  who  was  succeeded  by 
James  and  Ralph  Clews.  These  potters  worked  at 
Cobridge  from  1818  to  1834,  or  possibly  a  year  later, 
and  James  came  to  this  country  in  1836  and  en- 
deavored to  start  a  pottery  at  Troy,  Indiana.  The 
story  of  his  failure  is  told  in  E.  A.  Barber's  "  Pottery 
and  Porcelain  of  the  United  States,"  and  was  brought 
about  by  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  competent  work- 
men and  clay  for  working.  Since  that  time  large  beds 
of  kaolin  have  been  found  within  a  few  miles  of  his 
factory,  one  of  the  disagreeable  freaks  of  fate  to  which 
we  are  often  subjected. 

Undoubtedly  the  most  celebrated  china  which  Clews 
put  forth  were  the  two  patterns  known  as  "  Landing 
of  Lafayette,"  made  to  celebrate  that  hero's  visit  to 
this  country  in  1824,  and  what  is  known  as  the 
"  States  "  pattern,  bearing  a  border  of  festoons  con- 
taining the  names  of  the  fifteen  states.  Both  of  the 
views  are  great  favourites  among  collectors,  and  are 
generally  among  the  first  pieces  sought.  There  is  a 
large  quantity  of  the  Lafayette  china  in  this  country, 
and  it  has  a  beautiful  border  of  leaves  and  flowers. 
All  the  pieces,  from  three  and  a  half-inch  cup-plates, 
to  those  of  largest  size  are  desirable,  and  they  maintain 
a  stiff  price,  even  if  repaired.  Ten-inch  plates  in 
good  condition  bring  ten  dollars  easily,  and  the  platters 
proportionately  larger  sums  (FiG.  28). 

The  platter  shown  is  what  the  owner  calls  "  turkey 
size,"  eighteen  inches,  and  is  in  a  splendid  state  of 
preservation,  having  only  a  few  scratches  on  its  face. 
It  shows  another  view  of  Castle  Garden,  its  footbridge 
being  a  conspicuous  object.  All  the  shipping  is 
gathered  in  the  foreground  to  make  a  brave  showing. 


30  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

This  pattern  shows  several  inaccuracies  with  regard  to 
these  boats  which  have  been  discovered  recently. 
The  two  boats  with  the  three  masts  were  intended  for 
the  Fulton  and  the  Chancellor  Livingston,  but  as  the 
Fulton  had  but  one  mast,  it  is  evident  that  the  English 
potter  used  his  fancy  to  embellish  his  designs.  The 
small  boat  in  the  foreground,  without  any  masts,  is 
quite  as  bad  as  the  Fulton,  for  up  to  this  time  no 
steamers  were  made  without  masts,  in  this  country  at 
least.  Steam  was  too  unknown  a  quantity  to  be 
pressed  too  hard,  and  sails  were  used  in  case  of 
accident,  or  to  help  along. 

The  States  pattern  presents  many  pleasing  varieties. 
The  border  is  always  the  same  but  the  center  varies 
according  to  the  space  to  be  filled,  and  the  fancy  of 
the  potter.  The  border  is  composed  of  festoons,  bear- 
ing the  names  of  the  fifteen  states,  and  between  the 
festoons  are  stars  with  five  or  eight  points.  There  are 
at  least  a  dozen  different  views  in  the  center  pictures. 
Fig.  29  is  the  White  House  at  Washington.  Besides 
the  White  House,  Mount  Vernon  and  the  Custom 
House,  there  is  one  view  of  an  English  castle.  There 
is  a  three-story  building,  also,  which  often  appears, 
the  foreground  being  varied  by  sheep  or  cows,  or 
women  walking.  However,  it  is  always  extremely 
simple  to  name  this  platter  under  any  conditions,  for 
America  and  Independence  are  ever  in  full  view,  and 
the  medallion  of  Washington  is  always  the  same. 
This  platter  brought  at  auction  last  year,  at  the 
Haigh  sale  in  Boston,  forty-six  dollars. 

The  Clewses  did  not  confine  themselves  to  one  or  two 
borders  as  closely  as  did  the  Woods.  The  flowers 
and  scroll  is  one  of  their  best-known  ones.     On  the 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES.  3' 

Pittsfield  Elm  plate  is  found  a  very  handsome  border 
of  passion  flowers  and  medallions. 

The  piece  in  FiG.  30  is  a  ten-inch  soup-plate  in  per- 
fect condition.  It  brought  twenty  dollars  at  private 
sale,  but  inferior  copies,  not  perfect,  may  be  picked  up 
for  less.  The  Puritan  character  of  this  design  is  well 
in  keeping  with  the  scene  it  was  meant  to  perpetuate. 
In  Revolutionary  days  the  minister  at  this  meeting- 
house was  an  ardent  patriot,  and  one  Sunday,  so  the 
story  goes,  he  entered  the  pulpit  wearing  a  long  cloak. 
He  began  his  sermon  with  moderation,  but  before 
long  his  patriotism  grew  too  much  for  him,  and  throw- 
ing the  cloak  aside  he  showed  himself  in  the  Conti- 
nental uniform.  Calling  on  the  men  in  the  congrega- 
tion he  led  them  forth  under  the  elm  shown  on  the 
plate,  and  organized  them  into  a  company.  The 
fence  was  put  around  the  tree  in  1825,  showing  the 
plates  to  be  of  later  date,  for  up  to  that  time  the 
neighbouring  farmers  had  used  it  for  a  hitching-post, 
as  many  iron  staples  driven  into  the  tree  testified. 
It  was  too  late  to  save  it,  and,  in  the  early  sixties,  it 
fell,  the  wood  from  it  being  made  into  cups  and 
bowls. 

The  Clewses  also  issued  a  set  of  designs  in  various 
colours, — red,  brown,  black,  light  blue,  etc.  They  were 
taken  from  sketches,  by  W.  G.  Wall,  in  water  colour, 
comprising  what  he  called  his  "  Hudson  River  Port- 
folio." They  are  handsome  pieces  with  a  very  rich 
and  graceful  border  of  flowers  and  birds,  and  they 
command  fair  prices.  Clews  also  made  three  sets  of 
dark  blue  designs,  which  are  eagerly  snapped  up  by 
collectors  and  fetch  larger  prices.  They  are  the 
Syntax,  Wilkie,  and  Don  Quixote  designs.     The  first 


32  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

series  contains  the  largest  number  of  pieces,  and  is 
taken  from  those  quaint  books  illustrated  by  Row- 
landson,  and  for  which  William  Comb,  for  forty-three 
years  an  inmate  of  the  King's  Bench  debtor's  prison, 
wrote  the  verses.  The  first  volume  was  printed  by 
Ackerman  in  book  form,  as  early  as  1815,  and  was 
called  "  Doctor  Syntax  in  search  of  the  Picturesque." 
The  success  of  this  book  was  so  great  that  it  was 
followed  by  the  "Second  Tour  of  Doctor  Syntax  in 
search  of  Consolation,"  published  in  1820,  and  in  1821 
by  the  third  tour,  "In  Search  of  a  Wife."  About 
thirty  of  these  designs  have  come  to  hand. 

In  Fig.  31  is  shown  a  small  tray,  supposedly  the 
tray  of  a  fruit  dish  (though  I  have  heard  of  a  soup 
tureen  which  stands  in  a  similar  tray,  but  larger),  and 
is  in  perfect  condition.  This  picture  is  from  the  third 
tour,  and  is  called  "  The  Advertisement  for  a  Wife." 

Fig.  32  shows  a  scene  from  the  second  tour, 
"  Doctor  Syntax  and  the  Blue-Stocking  Beauty." 
Only  two  pieces  of  this  pattern  have  come  under  my 
notice,  both  six-inch  plates,  and  for  one  of  them, 
which  is  held  in  Boston,  the  price  asked  is  forty 
dollars. 

There  must  have  been  a  great  demand  for  this 
china,  which  was  made  to  sell  for  about  seven  or  eight 
cents  apiece,  and  Clews  took  advantage  of  the  grow- 
ing market. 

Sir  David  Wilkie,  an  English  artist  who  lived  and 
worked  during  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
made  a  set  of  comic  pictures  which  were  very  popular, 
and  from  wnich  plates  were  made  by  Clews.  The 
borders  are  beautiful,  a  passion  flower  is  conspicuous, 
and  there  are  other  flowers  and  scrolls.     The  colour  is 


Fig.  31.     "THE  ADVERTISEMEXT  FOR  A  WIFE, 
SYNTAX  TRAY.     CU^vt. 


Fig.  3..    "BLUE-STOCKING  BEAUTY. 
SYNTAX  PLATE.     C/e-w^. 


Fig.  33-     "THE  VALENTINE."     Clervs. 


Fig.  34.    LUMLEY  CASTLE,  DURHAM.     Ciews. 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES.  33 

deep  and  rich,  and  they  are  very  decorative.  In  FiG. 
33  is  shown  "  The  Valentine."  The  precious  missive 
seems  to  have  been  snatched  away  from  its  owner, 
and  she  is  trying  to  get  possession  of  it  again.  Tlie 
other  views  are  similarly  coarse  in  sentiment,  but 
they  are  certainly  very  ornamental  on  the  wall  and 
a  beautiful  piece  of  colour. 

Not  content  with  catering  to  the  popular  taste  with 
these  Syntax  and  Wilkie  patterns,  Clews  made  the 
third  set,  scenes  from  the  life  of  Don  Quixote.  The 
border  is  less  pleasing  than  in  the  other  patterns,  as  it 
is  irregular  points  and  flowers.  The  colour  of  the 
pieces  is  good,  however,  and  they  command  fair  prices, 
not  as  high  as  either  of  the  other  sets,  a  nine  and  three 
quarters-inch  plate  of  "  Sancho  Panza  at  the  Boar 
Hunt,"  bringing  eleven  dollars  at  auction. 

There  are  two  variations  which  have  recently  come 
to  liglit  in  the  Syntax  plates,  which  present  two  of 
those  china  puzzles  that  are  constantly  arising  to  con- 
fuse  the  china  collector.  One  of  these  puzzles  is  a 
plate,  "  Doctor  Syntax  returned  from  his  Tour,"  in  a 
medium  shade  of  blue  with  a  raised  border.  The  mark 
of  Clews  is  on  the  back,  the  stilt  marks  are  all  right, 
and  the  piece  is  light  in  weight,  as  all  this  ware  is.  I 
have  also  been  informed  by  a  china  collector  that  he 
has  in  his  possession  a  Syntax  plate  with  the  oak  leaf 
and  acorn  border,  which  has  always  been  ascribed  to 
R.  Stevenson  and  Williams. 

Then  comes  the  series  of  English  views,  consisting 
chiefly  of  castles,  abbeys  and  cathedrals.  About 
twenty-five  of  these  have  come  to  hand,  but  all  are  not 
yet  identified.  The  borders  vary,  some  being  much 
more  beautiful  than  others.     One  of  them,  enclosing 


34  THE    OLD    CHIN  A   B  OOK. 

such  views  as  Fountains  Abbey,  Ripon,  etc.,  is  large 
flowers,  too  large  in  fact  for  tiie  space  they  occupy. 
The  series  is  called  "  Select  Views,"  and  bears  this 
name  on  the  back  enclosed  in  a  little  wreath  of  leaves 
tied  with  a  ribbon,  and  below,  on  a  ribbon  scroll,  the 
name  of  the  view.  Bluebells  and  aster-like  flowers 
make  up  the  border  of  a  second  set,  and  just  here 
another  puzzle  comes  to  the  front.  Although  this 
bluebell  border  is  used  by  Clews  on  at  least  eight  or 
ten  views  of  such  famous  places  as  Wells  Cathedral, 
and  Dulwich  Castle,  it  is  as  a  border  of  Adams  that 
we  know  it  best.  Lumley  Castle  (FiG.  34)  is  an  ex- 
ample. Occasionally  the  pieces,  in  addition  to  the 
frame  with  flowers  which  enclosed  the  name  of  the 
view  on  the  back,  bear  the  name  of  Clews,  but  not 
always. 

There  is  another  border  also  used  by  Clews,  com- 
posed of  trees  meeting  in  foliage  at  the  top  and  with 
growing  plants  at  the  base.  This  is  entirely  sur- 
rounded by  scroll  work,  consisting  of  circles  with  a 
little  leaf  in  the  middle.  Adams  and  Clews  both  used 
this  border  also,  and  it  can  only  be  explained  by  pre- 
suming that  Adams  bought  some  of  Clews'  patterns 
when  the  latter's  works  were  closed.  The  exact  dates, 
that  is  within  a  year  or  two,  when  various  potters  be- 
gan or  stopped  potting,  are  quite  uncertain.  The 
authorities  to  be  relied  on  are  town  histories  and 
chronicles,  and  these  are  not  so  accurate  as  one  could 
wish.  In  the  American  views  we  have  come  to  de- 
pend quite  implicitly  on  the  certainty  with  which  we 
can  allot  a  certain  border  to  a  certain  potter,  so  that 
these  vagaries  on  English  views  are  quite  confusing. 
However,  on  these  foliage  border  views  the  name  of 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES.  35 

Adams  or  Clews  is  always  stamped,  but  while  they 
make  that  matter  clear,  they  never  mark  the  name  of 
the  view,  which  can  only  be  identified  from  engravings 
or  views  on  other  china. 

Clews'  mark,  like  most  of  the  others,  is  subject  to 
variations.  One  of  them  is  circles,  impressed  with  a 
crown  in  the  center,  and  "  Clews  Warranted  Stafford- 
shire," in  a  circle  about  it.  The  "  Picturesque  Views  " 
set  had  a  mark  of  its  own,  which,  in  addition  to  the 
crown,  and  "Clews  Warranted  Staffordshire,"  im- 
pressed, was  put  on  all  the  pieces.  It  is  a  little  view 
with  trees  and  a  lake  with  a  small  boat.  It  has 
through  it  a  bar  with  the  name  of  the  view.  These 
were  probably  some  of  the  last  work  done  at  the  Co- 
bridge  works  by  James  Clews,  before  he  closed  them 
in  1829  or  1830. 

yoseph   Stubbs. 

For  a  potter  who  did  not  make  any  great  number 
of  pieces  for  the  American  market,  the  name  of  Joseph 
Stubbs  is  held  in  unusually  high  estimation.  Nor, 
after  you  have  become  acquainted  with  his  work,  will 
this  seem  strange.  Every  piece  which  bears  his  name, 
and  even  those  which  bear  only  his  well-known  border, 
are  admirable  pieces  of  work  in  every  way — colour, 
design  and  finish.  FiG.  35  and  FiG.  36  are  a  platter 
and  a  plate  by  this  maker,  who  made  table  services 
decorated  with  American  designs.  He  owned  the 
Dale  Hall  works  at  Burslem,  from  about  1790  to  1829 
or  1830.  The  series  he  sent  to  this  country  is  deco- 
rated with  what  is  called  the  eagle  and  scroll  border, 
and  is  generally  arranged  on  plates  with  three  eagles 


36  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

at  equal  distances  between  flowers  and  scrolls,  and  on 
platters  with  four  eagles.  FiG.  35  is  always  eagerly 
sought.  It  is  the  Boston  State  House  platter,  and  on 
the  left  is  John  Hancock's  house,  and  in  the  fore- 
ground his  cows,  or  so  it  is  supposed.  On  this  platter 
there  are  but  three  eagles  in  the  border,  though  it  is  a 
sixteen-inch  size,  and  there  are  no  gravy  wells. 

The  question  of  these  same  gravy  wells  is  a  much 
mooted  one  among  collectors.  Many  prefer  their 
pieces  without  these  depressions,  which  are  found  on 
many  of  the  choicest  platters.  It  is  always  to  be  re- 
membered, however,  that,  originally,  the  platters  with 
wells  were  those  which  brought  the  highest  price. 
The  Boston  State  House  platter  sold  in  Boston,  in 
1901,  for  fifty-five  dollars. 

This  lovely  old  platter  always  furnishes  so  much 
food  for  thought  that  it  seems  slighting  it  to  pass  it 
by  with  a  mere  mention.  It  shows  those  delightfully 
sylvan  days  when  the  Common  was  common,  a  pasture 
for  cows.  John  Hancock's  were  not  the  only  ones 
pastured  there,  and  the  practice  was  continued  till  so 
late  as  1830,  when  it  was  discontinued  owing  to  the 
protests  of  indignant  citizens  who  objected  to  being 
"  tossed  and  gored  "  while  pursuing  their  peaceful  way 
across  the  public  grounds.  The  story  goes,  that  once 
upon  a  time  many  guests  descended  upon  Mr.  Han- 
cock, and  the  servants  were  put  to  it  for  supplies;  so 
that  several  went  out  and  milked  all  the  cows  on  the 
Common  to  provide,  at  least,  enough  milk. 

It  was  also  from  this  same  house  we  see  through 
the  trees  that  the  china  was  thrown  from  the  dining- 
room  window.  Mr.  Hancock  was,  in  his  later  years, 
a  sufferer  from  gout,  and  during  his  attacks  the  clatter 


Fig.  35.     PLATTER-BOSTON  STATE  HOUSE  AND  COMMON,    Stubbs. 


Fig.  36.     NAHANT.     Stubbs. 


Fig.  37.     CAPITOL  AT  WASHINGTON.     Ridgivay. 


Fig.  38.     ALMS  HOUSE,  NEW  YORK.     Ridgway. 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES.  yi 

of  china  on  the  mahogany  made  him  very  angry 
One  day,  finally,  it  irritated  him  so  much  that  he 
ordered  his  negro  butler  to  throw  it  all  out  of  the  win. 
dow  and  substitute  pewter;  so  the  Lowestoft— for. 
tunately  it  was  not  "  old  blue"— was  thrown  carefully 
on  the  grass,  so  as  not  to  damage  it,  and  became  loot 
for  the  butler.  Negroes  are  true  lovers  of  china ;  they 
hoard  it  away,  and  are  always  loth  to  part  with  it.  I 
know  of  much  which  has  come  out  of  cabins  within 
the  last  few  years,  where  it  has  lain  since  war  times, 
when  it  was  given  away,  or  was  rescued  from  deserted 
houses  and  safely  stowed  away. 

The  Nahant  plate  is  interesting  also,  showing  life  at 
the  beach  and  a  curious  vehicle  in  the  middle  distance. 
Was  it  that  fashionable  equipage  known  as  the  Italian 
chaise  ? 

The  mark  was  Stubbs.  impressed,  in  capital  let- 
ters, and,  sometimes,  "  Joseph  Stubbs,  Longport," 
in  a  circle  around  a  star.  Apparently  he  took  into 
partnership  later  a  man  named  Kent,  for  the  name 
"  Stubbs  &  Kent,  Longport,"  is  found  on  many  pieces. 
He  made  the  milk-maid  designs  found  on  tea  and 
toilet  sets,  and  I  have  seen  parts  of  tea-sets  with  decor- 
ations  of  flowers,  the  pieces  of  exactly  the  same  shape 
and  size  as  the  milk-maid  pattern,  and  having  the 
same  curious,  raised  ornament  in  place  of  handles. 
Prime  does  not  mention  either  Stubbs,  or  Stubbs  & 
Kent,  neither  does  Chaffers,  and  it  is  strange  that 
more  is  known  about  many  of  these  potters  and  their 
products  in  this  country  than  in  their  own  homes.  In 
addition  to  the  fifteen  or  twenty  American  patterns 
by  which  we  know  Stubbs,  he  made  some  beautiful 
Enelish  views. 


CHAPTER  III. 

STAFFORDSHIRE  WARES,  CONTINUED. 

Many  collectors  who  began  to  gather  these  beau- 
tiful wares  years  ago  have  been  able  to  weed  out  their 
poor  specimens,  and  to  settle  down,  either  on  one  par- 
ticular colour,  like  old  blue,  or  on  the  different  coloured 
printed  wares,  or  some  one  class  of  specimens  like  tea- 
pots, pitchers  or  cup-plates,  which  latter  class  is,  per- 
haps, the  most  difficult  to  collect,  and  certainly,  in 
proportion  to  the  size  of  the  objects,  the  most  costly. 
For  my  own  part  it  seems  as  if  the  greater  pleasure  lay 
in  a  certain  catholicity  of  taste,  that  a  corner  cupboard 
— the  most  charming  place  to  display  old  china — is  a 
greater  mine  of  wealth  and  enjoyment  if  a  jug  has  for 
a  background  a  platter  or  plate,  and  if  a  rare  old 
pepper-pot  stands  contentedly  beside  a  cup  and 
saucer. 

If  you  "  specialize,"  as  seems  the  tendency  now-a- 
days  in  everything,  what  a  collection  the  china  con- 
nected with  New  York  State  alone  makes,  and  if  you 
include  the  coloured  printed  ware,  as  well  as  old  blue, 
your  collection  will  number  considerably  over  one 
hundred  pieces.  Plates  and  platters  are  comparative- 
ly easy  to  obtain.  If  you  have  the  "gift,"  which 
must  be  born  with  you,  like  the  knack  of  spelling,  or 
good  looks,  china  collecting  will  come  easy.  Pieces 
will  drop  down  before  you,  fairly  •*  blow  in,"  as  one 
collector  has  it,  and    you  will  gather   treasures  from 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.       39 

most  unexpected  places,  and  for  small  sums.  That 
the  ways  of  the  collector  are  devious  every  one  knows. 
The  simon-pure  collector  has  got  rid  of  every  rag  of 
conscience,  and  in  return  has  his  collection,  a  fair 
exchange  many  of  us  think. 

If  you  live  in  a  small  city  or  town  you  may  add  to 
your  stores  by  sitting  down  and  letting  it  be  known 
that  you  buy  old  china.  You  will  be  surprised  at  the 
result,  for  though  good,  bad  and  indifferent  will  be 
presented  to  you,  careful  culling  will  give  much  that 
is  good.  Odd  and  unpromising  bundles  often  yield 
rare  and  curious  pieces.  Not  long  since  a  collector 
was  heard  to  remark  that  a  ragged  newspaper  bundle 
made  his  heart  beat  and  his  wallet  throb  in  his  pocket. 
He  never  knew  what  would  be  drawn  forth.  I  saw 
three  plates  recently,  all  by  Clews,  ten-inch,  dark  blue, 
and  perfect,  one  from  the  Syntax,  one  from  the  Wil- 
kie,  and  one  from  the  Don  Quixote  set,  which  came 
in  this  unexpected  way.  A  man,  who  showed  that  he 
held  close  communion  with  the  soil,  appeared  at  the 
front  door  with  a  negligently  wrapped  newspaper 
parcel  one  summer  morning.  He  announced  that  he 
had  come  to  "dicker,"  and  then  ensued  a  most  amus- 
ing scene,  he  falling  and  the  collector  rising,  till  at 
last  they  met,  and  the  bargain  was  struck.  One's 
feelings  are  apt  to  get  the  better  of  one  under  such 
circumstances.  The  seller  would  not  tell  how  he 
came  in  possession  of  the  plates,  the  only  statement 
that  could  be  extracted  from  him  was  a  nonchalant 
"  Oh,  I  got  them  in  our  town."  What  the  town  lost 
no  doubt  it  never  knew,  what  the  collector  gained  he 
feels  tingling  through  his  veins  every  time  he  regards 
his  plates. 


40  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

Embarked  on  the  hunt  yourself,  you  never  approach 
your  quarry  with  the  direct  question.  "  Have  you 
old  china  to  sell?"  If  you  did  your  quest  would  be 
in  vain.  After  selecting  your  house,  which  will  prob- 
ably be  well  weather-beaten,  with  straggling  lilac 
bushes  beside  the  door,  and  will  perhaps  boast  a  well- 
sweep,  you  modestly  knock,  and  when  the  door  is 
opened  a  crack,  ask,  "Does  Mrs.  Preston  live  here?" 
Of  course  you  know  she  does  not,  and  are  not  disap- 
pointed in  the  reply,  which  you  follow  up  by  asking, 
"  Do  you  know  where  she  does  live?  "  You  are  not 
amazed  that  they  do  not,  and  then  proceed  to  step 
three  in  your  pre-arranged  schedule,  and  say,  "  I  am 
sorry,  for  I  thought  she  might  have  some  old  china  she 
would  part  with."  Observe,  you  entirely  eschew  the 
word  "sell,"  it  is  "  part  with."  No  doubt  the  party 
of  the  second  part  behind  the  door  will,  by  this  time, 
have  opened  it  a  little  wider,  and  if  she  has  the  truly 
hospitable  spirit  of  the  country,  will  say,  "Come 
right  in,  perhaps  I  have  got  some."  If  she  does  not, 
you  must  get  along  as  well  as  you  can  by  asking  if 
she  knows  of  anybody  in  the  neighbourhood  who  has. 
When  once  inside  the  door  the  task  is  comparatively 
easy,  but  every  collector  has  his  own  little  methods. 
I  know  of  one  who  has  successfully  worked  a  portion 
of  New  Jersey,  and  who  located  many  choice  speci- 
mens but  could  not  get  even  within  the  houses  which 
contained  them.  He  had  in  his  employ  a  young  man 
of  insignificant  appearance,  who  had  a  "way  with 
him,"  who  followed  after  the  collector,  at  a  decent 
interval  of  a  day  or  two,  and  gathered  in  easily  and 
at  small  prices  the  specimens  which  the  collector  him- 
self had  not  even  been  able  to  see. 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.       41 

The  true  collector,  who  gathers  his  wares  for  the 
pleasure  of  it,  and  who  is  content  to  let  his  collection 
grow  by  degrees,  here  a  plate  and  there  a  platter, 
now  a  pepper-pot  and  next  month  a  pitcher,  will 
have  each  piece  stand  to  him  for  joyful  memories 
and  difficulties  overborne.  You  may  make  mistakes, 
but  what  of  that  ?  Tuck  the  ware  away  when  you  have 
found  out  your  error ;  you  will  know  better  next  time. 


y,  &f  W.  Ridgway, 


Of  course  with  the  series  of  the  well-known  potters 
one  cannot  make  mistakes,  and  in  following  down  the 
Staffordshire  potteries  we  come  next  to  consider  the 
Ridgways,  one  of  the  best-known  names,  in  America 
anyway,  in  connection  with  the  much-sought-after 
"old  blue." 

The  pottery  built  at  Hanley,  Staffordshire,  Eng- 
land,  in  1794,  by  Job  Ridgway,  the  father  of  the 
Ridgway  brothers,  produced  much  beautiful  table 
service  and  toilet  sets  as  well,  and  a  quantity  of  it 
was  sent  to  America.  After  some  years  the  sons, 
John  and  William,  were  admitted  to  partnership,  and 
the  firm  was  known  as  Ridgway  &  Sons.  Still  later, 
about  1 814,  after  the  death  of  Job  Ridgway,  the 
father,  the  firm  name  became  J.  &  W.  Ridgway,  and 
it  is  through  the  work  of  the  sons  that  we  become 
most  familiar  with  the  output  of  these  potteries. 

The  chief  contribution  which  J.  &  W.  Ridgway 
made  to  the  dark  blue  American  china  was  what  was 
known  as  the  "  Beauties  of  America  "  series.  There 
are  twenty  or  more  views  on  the  various  pieces  which 


42  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

comprised  the  table  services,  and  in  FiG.  37  we  give 
the  "Capitol  at  Washington,"  FiG.  38  "Almshouse, 
New  York,"  and  FiG.  39  "  Boston  Hospital."  In 
Fig.  40  is  repeated  the  view  shown  in  FiG.  37  the 
*'  Capitol  at  Washington,"  as  it  is  the  only  drainer  for 
a  fish  plate  that  I  have  come  across.  Tlie  dish  to 
which  it  belongs  has,  long  since,  been  broken,  or  at 
least  parted  company,  and  it  is  a  decorative  piece, 
even  with  the  numerous  holes  that  pierce  it.  The 
border  of  this  series  of  "  American  Beauties  "  is  a  con- 
ventional rose  with  a  few  leaves  set  in  medallions, 
while  around  the  central  view  is  a  small  pointed  edge 
with  dots.  The  colour  is  not  so  dark  a  blue  as  is  seen 
in  many  of  Wood's  pieces,  is  clearer  and  more  shaded, 
giving  in  this  way  a  greater  variety  to  each  design. 
In  fact  some  of  Wood's  ware,  for  instance  some  of  the 
French  views,  are  so  dark  that  it  is  hard  to  distinguish 
the  pattern,  showing  that  in  many  cases  the  designs 
were  used  after  they  had  become  too  worn  to  do  good 
work. 

As  is  usual  with  this  early  china,  the  "  beauties  " 
were  chiefly  alms  and  court  houses,  insane  asylums 
and  churches,  but  the  workmanship  is  so  fine,  the 
colour  so  rich,  and  the  medallion  border  so  pleasing, 
that  every  specimen  of  this  china  is  truly  a  beauty, 
and  worth  getting  for  its  decorative  value,  if  for 
no  other  reason.  The  "  Octagon  Church,  Boston  " 
(Fig.  41),  is  a  notably  handsome  plate.  It  is  really 
the  "  New  South  Church,"  and  came  to  be  called  "  Oc- 
tagon  "  from  the  shape  of  the  body  of  the  building, 
which  was  eight-sided.  The  original  church  was  dedi- 
cated in  January,  1717.  The  pulpit  was  filled  at  first 
by  candidates  who  were  paid  the   moderate  sum   of 


Fig.  39.     BOSTON  HOSPITAL.     Ricigway. 


Fig.  40.     FISH  PLATTER  SHOWING  THE  CAPITOL  AT  WASKINGTCN.     RiugMc^y. 


Fig   41.     OCTAGON  CHURCH,  BOSTON.     Ridgiaay. 


Fig.  42.     LAFAYETTE  MT.  VKRXOX. 

I„ANDI-NG.  Kidgway. 


BATTERY  AND  CASTLE 

GARDEN. 

Wood. 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.        43 

twenty  shillings  per  sermon.  The  picture  on  the 
china  is  not  of  the  old  church,  but  as  it  appeared 
when  rebuilt  in  1814.  The  church  was  beautifully 
situated  at  the  corner  of  Bedford  and  Summer  streets. 
The  octagonal  body  was  built  in  a  square  of  seventy- 
six  feet  diameter,  and  the  steeple,  "sky  scrapers" 
being  unknown  then,  was  deemed  very  lofty.  This 
church  was  demolished  in  1868,  to  give  way  to  busi- 
ness buildings,  and  our  "American  Beauty"  gains 
new  value  as  showing  a  New  England  landmark  now 
swept  away.  The  quaint  vehicle,  a  travelling  chaise 
no  doubt,  with  post-boy,  is  as  curious  to  our  eyes  as 
the  famous  "  one  hoss  shay,"  and  we  can  hardly 
imagine  a  modish  Boston  belle,  with  her  sprigged 
India  muslin  and  Leghorn  bonnet  with  ostrich  plumes, 
getting  about  in  such  a  conveyance. 

From  1814  to  1830,  the  brothers  Ridgway  worked 
together ;  but  at  the  latter  date  they  separated,  John, 
the  elder,  carrying  on  the  works  at  Cauldon  Place, 
built  by  his  father  in  1802,  while  William  established 
half  a  dozen  works  in  Staffordshire,  and  turned  out 
much  ware  for  the  American  market.  Indeed  so 
highly  did  he  think  of  this  country  as  a  market  for  his 
goods  that  he  placed  them  on  sale  in  several  cities, 
and  came  to  this  country  with  a  view  to  establishing 
a  pottery  here.  A  site  was  selected  in  Kentucky,  but 
the  plans  got  little  further,  and  William  Ridgway 
returned  to  England. 

After  the  separation  of  the  brothers  the  making  of 
the  "  Beauties  of  America"  series  was  stopped.  John 
Ridgway  made  several  patterns  for  the  Harrison  cam- 
paign of  1840,  of  variations  of  the  Log  Cabin,  which 
were  printed  in  black,  brown,  red  and  pale  blue.     The 


44  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

border  was  large  stars,  the  space  between  them  being 
filled  with  scattered  stars  of  a  much  smaller  size. 
Flatware,  teapots  and  pitchers  are  found  with  these 
designs.  The  marks  found  on  Ridgway's  "  Beauties  of 
America  "  series  are  all  in  blue.  First  come  the  words 
"Beauties  of  America,"  below  that  the  name  of  the 
particular  view,  and  below  that  "J.  &  W.  Ridgway." 

William  Ridgway  made  about  fifteen  patterns  from 
American  views,  but  they  are  printed  in  other  colours 
than  dark  blue.  There  is  a  small  series  of  views, 
printed  in  light  blue,  marked  "Catskill  Moss,"  and 
"  C.  C,"  which  have  only  recently  been  identified  as 
being  originated  by  William  Ridgway.  The  borders 
are  irregular  scales  overlapped  by  sprays  of  moss. 
The  most  interesting  view  in  the  series — there  are  but 
six  or  seven  so  far  identified — is  a  well-wooded  scene 
with  a  railroad  showing  one  of  the  very  early  engines, 
more  of  an  English  than  an  American  type.  How- 
ever, the  first  locomotive  used  in  this  country  was  of 
English  make,  and  was  called  the  "  Stourbridge  Lion." 
The  cars  are  of  the  stage-coach  pattern,  but  the  view 
is  plainly  marked  "  Albany  and  Schenectady  R.  R." 
This  road,  sixteen  miles  long,  was  opened  in  1830,  and 
for  the  first  year  the  cars  were  drawn  by  horses,  so  the 
view  was  probably  made  a  year  or  two  later. 

In  fact,  the  foundations  on  which  the  name  of  Ridg- 
way must  rest  are  the  "  Beauties  of  America  "  series 
and  their  English  views,  and  they  are  broad  enough  to 
stand  for  many  a  long  year  yet. 

John  Ridgway  made  one  dark  blue  design  of  the 
Capitol  at  Washington  which  is  still  made  by  his  suc- 
cessors. There  are  also  to  be  found  pitchers  of  white 
ware,  called  the  "  Apostle  "  and  "  Tournament  "  pitch- 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.      45 

crs.  They  are  interesting  and  I  know  of  one  particu- 
larly fine  specimen  with  a  cover,  also  of  the  ware. 
These  Apostle  jugs  are  very  quaint  in  their  arrange- 
ment. They  are  octagonal  in  shape,  which,  of  course, 
gives  room  for  only  eight  apostles.  The  other  four  are 
accommodated  as  follows :  one  forms  the  handle,  one  is 
below  the  lip,  and  one  within  and  one  on  the  outside 
of  the  lip.  Those  in  the  niches  are  full  length,  digni- 
fied figures;  the  last  four  are  rather  crowded.  In  FiG. 
42  is  shown  one  other  "  Beauties  of  America  "  piece,  a 
preserve  dish  giving  a  view  of  Mt.  Vernon.  On 
either  side  are  grouped  cup-plates,  on  the  left  a 
*'  Landing  of  Lafayette,"  and  on  the  right  "  Castle 
Garden,"  the  latter  by  Wood,  the  former  by  Clews. 
They  are  three  and  a  half  inches  across  the  face,  and 
both  are  remarkably  clear  impressions  of  the  views 
shown. 

As  we  have  said  before,  the  collecting  of  cup-plates 
is  remarkably  difficult,  yet  in  South  Framingham, 
Massachusetts,  there  is  a  single  collection  numbering 
over  four  hundred  of  these  tiny  pieces.  That  the 
practice  which  we  condemn  as  reprehensible  to-day  was 
in  good  repute  among  our  ancestors,  these  cup-plates 
abundantly  testify.  Great-grandmama  could  not  bear 
to  have  her  linen  stained,  or  her  mahogany  marred 
by  the  rims  of  teacups  ;  so  when  the  fragrant  Bohea — 
I  doubt  if  they  had  Orange  Pekoe  in  those  days — was 
poured  into  the  saucer  to  cool,  the  cup  was  neatly 
placed  in  the  little  plate  provided  for  it. 

All  the  pieces  of  the  historic  sets  seem  to  survive 
except  these  plates.  The  only  "  Beauties  of  America  " 
cup-plate  I  have  heard  of  is  in  this  Massachusstts  col- 
lection,  and    has  on   it   a    picture   of    the    Baltimore 


46  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

Exchange.  Side  by  side  with  this  choice  piece  are  a 
"  Stoughton  Church,"  Philadelphia,  with  the  acorn  bcw- 
der,  a  "  Mendenhall  Ferry,"  "  Savannah  Bank,"  and  the 
**  Pittsfield  Elm."  "  Mendenhall  Ferry"  is  unusual  on 
a  cup-plate,  yet  two  five  and  one-half  inch  plates  with 
this  view  have  come  to  light  recently  in  a  negro  cabin. 
The  "Savannah  Bank"  is  more  unusual  still.  There 
are  also  examples  of  the  Syntax,  Wilkie  and  Don 
Quixote  designs, 

A  year  or  two  ago  I  wrote  that  "historic  cup-plates 
Were  worth  their  weight  in  gold,"  and  some  of  my 
correspondents  took  exception  to  my  statement. 
Within  a  few  weeks  I  have  heard  of  two  four-inch 
Lovejoy  cup-plates  which  have  come  upon  the  mar- 
ket, and  give  the  respective  prices  they  brought.  The 
first  was  sold  at  public  auction  in  New  York  City, 
and  brought  twenty-three  dollars.  The  second  was 
"traded  "by  a  collector,  with  two  dollars  and  fifty 
cents  added,  for  the  four  following  pieces  ;  one  nine- 
inch,  dark-bli^  "i  Wilkie  plate  "  The  Valentine,"  in 
proof  condition,  by  Clews  ;  one  ten-inch,  pink  "  Cat- 
skill  Mt.  House,  U.  S.,"  by  Adams,  proof;  one  seven 
and  one-half-inch,  dark-blue,  "  Southampton,  Hamp- 
shire," proof;  one  ten-inch  brown.  Picturesque  Views 
plate,  "Troy  from  Mt.  Ida."  It  seems  as  if  my  esti- 
mate had  hardly  been  high  enough. 

The  Ridgways — to  pass  on  from  American  pieces 
— like  all  other  potters  of  their  time  made  many  Eng- 
lish views.  These  are  all  distinguished,  like  the  other 
pieces  from  their  potteries,  by  fine  colour  and  good  de- 
signs. The  borders  are  unusual,  flowers  alternating 
with  quaint  medallions  of  children  and  goats.  The 
central  view  is  almost  invariably  set  in  an  eight-sided 


Fig.  43.    ALL  SOULS'  COLLEGE  AND  ST.  MARY'S  CHURCH,  OXFORD.    Ridgway 


Fig.  45.     BATTLE  OF  BUNKER  HILL.     ^.  Stevenson. 


Fig   46.     LAWRENCE  MANSION,  BOSTON.     St, 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.       47 

panel,  but  the  views  are  all  made  from  careful  sketches 
and  are  handsome  in  colour  and  design  (FiG.  43).  It  is 
quite  noticeable  that  the  English  views  are  much 
better  than  the  American  ones,  probably  from  the 
better  class  of  drawings  they  had  to  work  from.  Mr. 
Prime  mentions  in  his  valuable  work  on  "  Pottery  and 
Porcelain  "  that  they  sometimes  used  the  same  view 
under  different  names.  He  says  that  he  has  the  "  State 
House  at  Boston"  on  one  plate  and  the  "City  Hall, 
New  York,"  on  another,  both  views  being  of  the  latter 
building.  The  Ridgways  also  started  a  series  with  a 
very  elaborate  border  of  twisted  scrolls  which  they 
called  the  "  Zoological  Gardens."  Two  designs  have 
come  to  light  so  far:  the  bird  cages  and  bear  cages. 
They  are  printed  in  various  colours  and  were  proba- 
bly of  late  production. 


Ralph   Stevenson. 


In  studying  and  gathering  this  Staffordshire  ware, 
although  it  is  all  lovely  and  you  cannot  afford  to  miss 
a  piece  that  you  can  possibly  make  your  own,  yet 
it  is  impossible  to  prevent  preferences  for  particular 
makers,  either  from  the  colour,  consistency  of  paste,  or 
manner  of  printing  their  ware.  Everybody  strives 
after  Ralph  Stevenson's  designs.  There  are  identified, 
so  far,  about  twenty-one  or  twenty-two,  and  when  you 
secure  one  it  is  generally  put  in  a  commanding  posi- 
tion in  your  collection  (FiG.  44).  All  the  designs  with 
the  vine-leaf  border,  which  are  so  ornamental,  are 
eagerly  sought  and  bring  high  prices,  and  you  may 
find  these  same  central  views  with  a  raised  border  in 


48  THE    OLD    CHINA    BOOK. 

white.  One  collector  has  written  that  he  has  a  Syntax 
plate  with  the  acorn  and  oak  leaf  border,  which  is  quite 
as  well  known  as  the  vine  leaf.  Perhaps  it  is  the  air  of 
mystery  that  surrounds  all  that  is  known  of  this  potter 
and  his  work,  either  when  he  potted  alone  or  in  com- 
pany with  Williams,  which  makes  his  pieces  so  desir- 
able. No  date  can  be  given,  with  any  degree  of  ac- 
curacy, as  to  just  when  this  firm  worked,  or  whether 
it  was  before  or  after  the  partnership  that  Stevenson 
alone  put  forth  his  handsome  pieces.  It  is  curious 
that  in  less  than  one  hundred  years  the  history  of  this 
man  and  his  pottery  should  be  completely  lost.  His 
works  were  at  Cobridge  in  StafTordsiiire,  and  no  doubt 
he  potted  at  the  same  time  that  the  other  Staffordshire 
works  were  sending  their  wares  here. 

Carlyle  says:  "  From  a  small  window  one  may  see 
the  infinite."  We  would  paraphrase  it  to  read  :  "  On  a 
small  plate  one  may  read  the  history  of  a  nation."  In 
Fig.  45  is  given  a  view  of  the  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill, 
that  event  in  our  history  which  has  made  a  hundred 
thousand  men  to  fight  more  bravely,  and  caused  the 
arrogance  of  other  nations  to  meet  with  an  unexpected 
check.  It  is  a  lovely  old  tray,  part  of  a  fruit  dish  ;  for 
there  was,  no  doubt,  a  basket  to  stand  it  in  when  it 
was  first  sent  over.  The  round  spots  in  the  border 
are  holes  which  pierce  it,  a  very  curious  style  of  orna- 
mentation. As  we  see  it  on  the  china  the  battle 
seems  almost  a  toy  affair,  the  proverbial  "thin  red 
line  "  broken  by  two  little  prancing  horses  in  the  cen- 
ter. But  in  reality  the  very  ^lite  of  the  British  army 
were  in  this  action,  Percy's  Northumbrians,  the  Royal 
Irish,  the  Fourth  Corps,  or  the  Kings  Own,  and  the 
Royal  Welsh  Fusileers,  bearing  on  their  colours  the 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,     Continued.       49 

badges  of  Edward  the  Black  Prince,  consisting  of  a 
rising  sun,  red  dragon  and  plumed  hat,  and  the  motto 
"  Ich  dien." 

In  the  fulfilment  of  an  ancient  and  honourable  cus- 
tom these  Welsh  Fusileers  were  preceded  in  review  by 
a  goat  with  gilded  horns  and  adorned  with  garlands  of 
flowers.  Every  first  of  March,  on  the  anniversary  of 
their  tutelary  saint,  David,  the  officers  of  the  Fusileers 
gave  a  splendid  entertainment  to  all  their  Welsh 
brethren.  After  the  removal  of  the  cloth,  a  bumper 
was  filled  to  his  Royal  Highness,  the  Prince  of  Wales, 
whose  health  was  always  the  first  toast  on  that  day. 
The  goat,  gilded  and  loaded  with  flowers,  was  brought 
in,  a  pretty  little  drummer-boy  mounted  on  his  back, 
and  the  drum  major  was  to  lead  him  three  times 
around  the  top  of  the  table.  But  on  March  first,  1775, 
at  Boston,  the  goat  had  other  views,  and  giving  a 
vicious  spring,  threw  off  the  drummer-boy,  leaped 
over  the  officers'  heads,  and  ran  back  to  the  barracks, 
to  the  unconcealed  joy  of  such  of  the  Americans  as 
had  gathered  to  see  the  festivities. 

Opposed  to  all  the  trained  soldiers  of  old  England 
were  our  twelve  companies,  each  mustering  fifty-six 
effective  rank  and  file.  They  were  largely  composed 
of  "  raw  lads  and  old  men,  half  armed,  with  no  prac- 
tice or  discipline,  commanded  without  order,  and  God 
knows  by  whom."  Who  can  look  on  the  quaint  old 
plate  without  a  quicker  beating  pulse,  and  what  is  the 
intrinsic  value  compared  to  the  lesson  of  patriotism  it 
teaches  us  all  ?  The  English  potter  was  not  sensitive 
when  he  made  us  this  design,  and  in  any  form  it  is  a 
welcome  addition  and  an  ornament  to  a  collection. 
In  Fig.  46  is  given  another  New  England  view.     It 


so  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

has  the  well-known  vine-leaf  border,  and  is  as  beauti- 
fully  coloured  and  printed  as  was  all  the  output  of 
these  works.  It  is  the  Lawrence  Mansion,  Boston, 
situated  on  Park  street,  a  very  elegant  residence  which 
saw  much  hospitality.  It  would  hardly  be  guessed 
that  the  illustration  shows  a  wash  bowl — the  pitcher, 
alas,  did  not  survive — which  measures  twelve  inches 
across,  the  usual  size  of  these  articles  in  the  early  part 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  However,  we  read  in  CoU 
onial  records  that  our  ancestors'  habits  were  not  as 
primitive  as  might  be  inferred  from  the  size  of  this 
bowl.  The  whole  family  was  "  rounded  up  "  Saturday 
night  for  the  weekly  scrubbing,  down  to  the  unwilling 
pickaninnies,  who  took  their  turn  in  the  great  tubs  of 
wood  bound  with  brass,  which  stood  before  the  kitchen 
fire.  This  process  was  superintended  by  mammy,  the 
cook.  This  custom  prevailed  not  only  in  the  South 
but  in  New  England  as  well,  and  is  mentioned  in 
Smith's  "  Colonial  Days  and  Ways,"  a  delightful 
record  of  a  dozen  generations  of  sterling  Connecticut 
stock. 

In  Fig.  47  is  presented  a  platter,  beautiful  in  colour 
and  pleasing  in  design,  which  has  been  a  subject  of 
much  discussion  among  collectors.  For  years  it  has 
been  known  as  the  Lawrence  Mansion,  but  it  has 
at  last  been  decided  that  it  is  not  an  American  view 
at  all.  Prominent  collectors  who  have  it,  still  keep 
it  in  their  collections,  and  hope  sometime  that  it 
will  be  identified.  We  give  it  in  order  that  the  two 
pieces  may  be  easily  compared.  The  view  shown  in 
Fig.  48  is  a  pretty  rendering  of  the  Capitol  at  Washv 
ington  with  which  the  other  potters  have  made  us 
familiar. 


Fig.  47.     SO-CALLED  L.WX'RENXE  MAXSIOX. 


Fig.  48.     CAPITOL  AT  WASHINGTON.     A'.  ::tev. 


i*^H.*f     " 


Fig.  49.     CITY  HOTEL,  NEW  VORK.    K.  S.  &»  IV. 


Fig.  so.  'SdUDDER'S  AMERICAN  MUSEUM,  NEW  YORK.    J?.  S.  (jf  JV 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,     Continued.       51 

The  designs  made  by  Ralph  Stevenson  &  Williams 
are  quite  as  choice  and  interesting  as  those  bearing 
the  imprint  of  Ralph  Stevenson  alone.  The  borders 
are  acorn  and  oak  leaf,  a  pretty  and  artistic  pattern 
covering  the  edge  of  the  plate,  and  separated  from  the 
central  design  by  a  small  beading.  All  the  central 
views  are  good  and  generally  of  interest,  almshouses 
being  rather  conspicuous  by  their  absence. 

In  Fig.  49  is  shown  one  of  those  early  landmarks  of 
old  New  York  that  invite  one  to  tarry  awhile  and 
study  it.  It  is  the  City  Hotel,  New  York,  which  once 
filled  the  entire  front  of  the  block  on  Broadway,  be- 
tween Thomas  and  Cedar  streets.  The  building  itself 
was  plain  enough,  architecturally,  as  one  may  see,  but 
it  was  comfortable  without  and  within,  and  very  well 
furnished.  The  dining-room  was  large  and  famed  for 
its  neatness,  and  it  accommodated  many  guests  and 
numerous  waiters.  There  was  a  second  dining-room 
devoted  to  ladies,  and  this  was  used,  as  occasion 
demanded,  for  lectures,  a  favourite  form  of  entertain- 
ment, and  more  rarely  for  concerts.  The  proprietors 
were  two  old  bachelors,  Jennings  and  Willard,  famed 
far  and  wide  for  their  jovial  manners  and  attention  to 
business.  They  performed  all  the  duties  incident  to 
their  business,  that  haughty  creation  of  modern  times, 
the  hotel  clerk,  being  then  unknown.  Jennings  did 
all  the  purchasing  of  supplies,  while  Willard  presided 
over  the  inside  of  the  hotel ;  and  both  men  had  that 
happy  faculty  of  remembering  both  names  and  faces 
that  is  such  a  necessary  factor  in  successful  hotel-keep- 
ing. Trinity  Church  steeple  is  visible  in  the  distance, 
and  the  woodpile  in  the  foreground  tells  a  tale  of 
leisure  that  is  completely  jarred  out  of  mind  by  the 


52  THE  OLD  CHINA  BOOK. 

ceaseless  clang  of  the  trolley  which  usurps  its  place 
to-day. 

Buckhorn  Tavern  stood  at  Broadway  and  Twenty- 
second  street,  and  was  another  famous  inn  at  about 
the  same  time ;  but  it  was  very  much  out  of  town, 
quite  a  day's  drive  from  the  City  Hotel. 

Scudder's  American  Museum,  which  is  shown  in 
Fig.  50,  was  where  P.  T.  Barnum  first  started  as  a 
showman  and  laid  the  foundation  for  the  fortune  he 
subsequently  made. 

Quite  as  interesting  as  the  old  buildings  which  have 
long  since  given  way  to  many-storied  business  struc- 
tures are  the  pictures  of  colleges  which  Stevenson 
made.  They  are  found  on  plates  and  platters  and  are 
eagerly  snapped  up  at  high  prices.  I  know  of  one 
Harvard  College  plate,  the  one  shown  in  FiG.  51, 
which  travelled  for  some  years  between  town  and 
country  as  the  cover  for  a  butter-pot.  The  farmer's 
wife  brought  it  into  the  house  one  day,  instead  of 
removing  it  beforehand  as  usual,  and  thought  that 
she  had  been  more  than  well  paid  when  she  took 
two  dollars  for  it.  It  is  a  ten-inch,  dark-blue  plate, 
in  perfect  condition,  and  is  quoted  now  at  fifty  dol- 
lars. It  shows  Hollis  Hall,  built  1763,  Harvard  Hall, 
1766,  Holworthy  and  Stoughton.  There  is  another 
view  on  smaller  plates,  showing  University  Hall.  It 
has  in  the  foreground  a  figure  on  horseback.  Six- 
inch  plates  (all  these  have  the  acorn  border)  show  a 
third  view  by  Stevenson,  also  of  University  Hail- 
So  far  as  is  known  he  made  no  views  of  Yale  Col- 
lege, which  is  odd,  as  after  Harvard  it  was  the  oldest 
college.  In  fact  there  are  no  views  of  it  by  any 
maker  in  dark  blue,  but  Columbia  is  shown  in  three 
views  by  Stevenson. 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.       53 

Fig.  52  shows  a  seven  and  one-half  inch  dark-blue 
plate,  with  acorn  border  by  Stevenson,  showing  Col- 
umbia College  as  it  was  after  1820,  when  a  belfry  and 
two  wings  were  added.  Starting  out  in  1756 as  King's 
College,  after  the  Revolution  the  name  was  changed 
to  Columbia.  The  college  buildings  stood  in  a  twenty- 
acre  tract  presented  by  the  legislature,  between  Fifth 
and  Sixth  avenues  and  Forty-seventh  and  Forty-ninth 
streets.  One  of  the  views  has  the  vine-leaf  border, 
and  is  marked  R.  S.  FiG.  52  is  marked  R.  S.  W.,  and 
the  third  view,  with  flowers  and  scrolls  on  the  border, 
is  marked  A.  Stevenson. 

There  has  always  been  such  a  feeling  of  uncertainty 
in  the  minds  of  the  more  conservative  collectors  as  to 
whether  "  R.  S.  W."  really  stood  for  R.  Stevenson  & 
Williams,  for  it  might  belong  to  Ridgway,  Son  & 
Wear,  that  the  discovery  by  a  well-known  collector  of 
Pennsylvania  of  two  Stoughton  Church  cup-plates 
with  the  usual  blue  stamp,  the  R.  S.  W.  mark,  and  also 
the  impressed  mark  Stevenson,  is  welcome  assurance. 
It  has  been  known  for  some  time  that  medallion  plates, 
with  portraits  of  Lafayette  and  Washington,  are  in 
existence,  which  bear  in  full  the  name  of  R.  Stevenson 
&  Williams.  But  then  again  these  have  other  borders 
than  the  vine  leaf  or  acorn. 

There  are  portraits  also  by  Stevenson  which  will  be 
spoken  of  in  the  chapter  devoted  to  those  designs. 
There  are  also  two  designs  in  other  colours  than  blue, 
signed  "  R.  S.,"  having  a  lace  border  with  six  bunches 
of  flowers,  and  enclosing  as  central  view  Erie  Canal  at 
Buffalo,  showing  packet  boat,  the  second  view  being  of 
the  city  of  New  Orleans. 

Of  course  Stevenson  made  "  English  Views,"  and, 


54  THE    OLD    CHINA    BOOK. 

as  might  be  expected,  they  are  as  admirable  as  the 
work  with  American  designs.  The  oak  leaf  and  acorn 
decorate  one  series,  the  lace  border,  which  we  have 
just  mentioned  in  connection  with  two  American 
scenes,  surrounds  a  fine  view  of  Eaton  Hall,  Fonthill 
Abbey,  with  a  graceful  foliage  border,  is  plainly  marked 
on  the  scroll  on  the  back,  "  R.  S."  and  "  Panoramic 
Scenery."  The  name  of  the  view  is  not  given,  but  the 
same  building  is  shown  on  pieces  by  other  makers 
which  are  stamped,  and  is  in  this  way  easily  identified. 
He  probably  began  a  series  of  views  of  the  English 
lake  scenery,  for  one  such  view  is  found  with  a  very 
ornate  flower  and  scroll  border.  It  is  marked  "  British 
Lakes,  R.  S.  &  S.,"  and  is  identified  as  Lake  Win- 
dermere. The  design  of  Harewood  House  is  very 
handsome,  the  view  being  well  composed  and  decora- 
tive, and,  as  is  so  invariable  with  this  potter,  the  colour 
is  very  fine  (FiG.  53). 


E.  J.  PhilUps  m  Co. 

This  firm,  like  so  many  others  whose  work  we  seek 
and  cherish,  has  its  history  wrapped  in  obscurity.  It 
has  been  ascertained  that  they  had  potteries  at  Long- 
port,  Staffordshire,  at  least  as  late  as  1830,  and  two 
pieces  are  in  evidence  as  coming  from  their  works. 
The  first  and  most  interesting  to  us  is  a  cup  and  saucer 
(Fig.  54),  showing  Franklin's  tomb.  The  name  of 
Franklin  is  on  the  urn  which  surmounts  the  tomb. 
This  design  was  a  favourite  one  with  potters.  The 
Woods  made  three  tomb  designs,  and  there  has  always 
been    much   discussion  as  to  the  figures  standing   in 


Fig.  51.     HARVARD  COLLEGE.     R.  S.  &=  IK 


Fig.  52.     COLUMBIA  COLLEGE.     R.  S.  &-  JK 


'^^1?...    ' 


Fig.  53.     HAREWOOD  HOUSE,  ENGLAND.    R.  Stevenson. 


Fig.  54.     CUP  AND  SAUCER  SHOWING  FRAXKLIX-S  TOMB.    Phimj,s 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.       55 

contemplation  near  them.  One  collector  by  years  of 
patience  has  got  together  six  cups  and  saucers,  all  with 
tomb  designs,  five  of  them  by  Wood  and  the  sixth 
being  the  rare  one  by  Phillips,  given  in  FiG.  54. 

Next  to  cup-plates,  cups  and  saucers  seem  to  be  the 
most  difficult  pieces  to  come  across,  though  why,  as 
they  are  large  and  stout,  one  can  hardly  say.  They 
do  not  boast  any  handles,  and  were  fashioned  to  hold 
a  generous  measure  of  the  infusion.  Robert  Morris 
had  one  of  the  finest  houses  in  Philadelphia  filled  with 
beautiful  furniture  and  luxuries  of  every  description. 
The  Prince  de  Broglie  visited  Philadelphia  some  few 
years  after  the  Revolution  and  called  upon  Mrs. 
Morris.  He  says,  writing  of  the  visit,  "  I  got  some  ex- 
cellent tea,  and  I  think  I  should  be  drinking  it  yet  if 
the  Ambassador  had  not  charitably  warned  me  when 
I  had  taken  the  twelfth  cup,  that  I  must  put  my  spoon 
across  my  cup  whenever  I  wanted  this  species  of  tor- 
ture by  hot  water  to  stop,  since,  said  he  to  me,  *  it  is 
almost  as  bad  manners  to  refuse  a  cup  of  tea  when  it 
is  offered  to  you,  as  it  would  be  indiscreet  for  the  mis- 
tress of  the  house  to  offer  you  more  when  the  cere- 
mony of  the  spoon  has  shown  what  your  wishes  are  in 
the  matter.'  "  If  Mrs.  Morris's  cups  approximated 
the  size  of  this  one  we  do  not  wonder  the  Prince  called 
it  "  torture  by  hot  water."  Probably,  though,  her 
cups  were  porcelain  ones  and  these  large  ones  came 
in  when  tea  was  a  less  expensive  beverage. 

Washington  and  Franklin  both  liked  blue  china  for 
every-day  use,  and  the  father  of  his  country,  plain 
citizen  though  he  called  himself,  liked  his  household 
appointments  abundant  and  suitable.  His  "  every-day 
use  "  was  blue  and  white  Canton,  and  there  is  a  letter  by 


$6  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

him  ordering  a  set :  "  Not  less  than  six  or  eight  dozen, 
however,  and  proportionable  number  of  deep  and 
other  plates,  butter-boats,  dishes  and  tureens  will  suf- 
fice." 

Franklin  liked  blue  and  white  also,  and  among  some 
barrelfuls  which  he  sent  over  to  his  wife,  was  a  certain 
little  squat  blue  and  white  pitcher,  which  he  particu- 
larly commended  to  his  wife's  notice,  for  he  says,  "  I 
bought  it  because  it  reminded  me  of  you  know  who  !  " 
No  doubt  this  preference  for  blue  and  white  was 
largely  instrumental  in  influencing  the  English  potters 
to  use  the  colour  blue  when  they  were  starting  to 
make  their  wares  attractive  to  our  market. 

In  the  Phillips  tomb  scene  the  figure  of  the  man  has 
on  long  trousers.  In  one  of  Wood's  designs  the  figure 
wears  small  clothes,  is  standing  by  the  tomb,  and 
carries  in  his  hand  a  scroll.  For  years  this  has  been 
known  as  "  Lafayette  at  Franklin's  Tomb,"  and  the 
reason  why  collectors  have  decided  that  it  is  Washing 
ton  is  curious.  When  Lafayette  visited  this  countrj 
in  1824  he  was  sixty-seven  years  old.  Knee  breechei 
had  begun  to  be  discarded  shortly  after  eighteen  hun- 
dred by  young  men,  but  were  retained  by  some  o( 
their  elders  till  as  late  as  1820,  or  thereabouts.  Trous- 
ers had  become  an  established  fashion  by  1824,  and 
it  was  unusual  to  see  small  clothes  except  on  the 
limbs  of  some  conservative  member  of  the  old  regime. 
Top  boots  with  the  yellow  lining  falling  over,  and 
cordovans  or  half  boots,  made  of  elastic  leather  and 
fitting  itself  to  the  shape  of  the  leg,  also  belonged  to 
this  time. 

To  the  mind's  eye  the  vision  of  Lafayette  is  always 
that  of  an  heroic  figure,  with  a  queue,  brocade  coat,  silk 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.       57 

stockings,  and  with  a  sword  by  his  side,  as  he,  no  doubt, 
was  when,  at  twenty,  he  came  to  prop  our  feeble 
fortunes.  But  these  pieces  were  made  after  his  visit 
in  1824,  when  he  was  comparatively  an  old  man, 
weakened  by  years  of  exile  and  imprisonment  and  by 
cares  of  state  in  his  own  perturbed  country.  He  wore 
the  prevailing  trousers,  a  coat  with  skirts,  his  own 
hair,  and  no  sword.  It  is  the  running  down  of  these 
small  details  which  has  resulted  in  settling  the  design 
to  be  some  other  figure  than  Lafayette's,  presumably 
Washington's  or  Jefferson's,  though  the  lace  ruffles  on 
the  shirt  front  are  hardly  consistent  with  what  we  are 
instructed  to  regard  as  Jeffersonian  simplicity. 

The  second  piece,  marked  with  the  firm  name  of 
E.  J.  Phillips  &  Co.,  is  an  English  view  of  Eton  College, 
with  a  very  ornate  border  of  flowers  and  scrolls.  It 
comes  on  the  tiny  toilet  sets  we  have  mentioned,  and 
is  a  handsome  building  with  many  little  pointed  tur- 
rets. This  college  was  founded  by  Henry  VI  in  1440, 
very  near  to  Windsor,  and  the  habit  worn  by  the  boys, 
the  short  coat  and  beaver,  makes  them  almost  as 
marked  figures  in  the  streets  of  London  as  the  Blue- 
coat  Boys,  with  their  indigo  robes  and  bare  heads. 

No  English  works  on  pottery  make  any  mention  of 
Phillips,  and  it  would  seem  as  if  the  time  had  come 
for  a  comprehensive  and  well-written  work  on  the 
pottery  and  porcelain  of  Great  Britain.  Amid  the 
number  of  voluminous  works  so  far  issued  there  is  no 
mention  of  the  vast  quantity  of  semi-china  or  pottery 
made  for  this  market,  or  even  of  the  numerous  and 
elaborate  sets  of  English  views,  with  which  we  are 
becoming  more  familiar.  There  are  pieces  of  this 
"  -jemi  "  ware  to  be  found  bearing  the  words  "  British 


58  THE    OLD    CHINA   BOOK. 

Flowers  "  on  the  back,  the  words  being  surrounded  by 
a  pretty  floral  wreath.  There  are  also  the  impressed 
initials  "  E.  &  G.  P.,"  which  seem  to  stand  for  E.  &  G. 
Phillips  plainly  enough.  The  designs  on  the  face  of 
the  china  are  graceful  bunches  of  fruits  and  flowers, 
distinguished  by  the  same  careful  printing  and  true 
blue  which  we  notice  on  the  other  Phillips  designs. 
These  pictures  are,  of  course,  of  trifling  value,  as  are 
all  pieces  with  merely  floral  embellishment,  and  such 
designs  as  were  issued  by  the  Halls.  These  series 
are  named  respectively  "Oriental,"  "Italian,"  and 
"  Indian  "  scenery,  and  are  marked  with  the  firm  name 
of  I.  Hall  &  Sons,  the  scenes  on  the  front  being  indica- 
tive of  the  countries  represented.  On  the  Indian 
views  elephants  and  pagodas  abound,  and  the  oriental 
views  are  equally  striking.  These  latter  views  were 
taken  from  "  Travels  in  Mesopotamia,"  printed  about 
1828.     (See  list  of  English  Views.) 

There  are  thousands  of  pieces  of  Staffordshire  ware 
in  this  country,  literally  of  no  value  except  as  family 
heirlooms,  printed  in  all  colours  and  diversified  by 
fancy  titles,  such  as  "  Ivy,"  "  Myrtle,"  etc.  Even 
Wedgwood  made  a  little  fine  pattern  which  he  called 
"  Jassamine,"  and  which  I  have  found  in  a  whole  tea- 
set.  It  is  clearly  and  beautifully  printed  in  brown, 
the  pattern  fulfilling  the  laws  of  design,  and  even  to 
the  lettering  on  the  back  showing  that  attention  to 
detail  for  which  this  potter  was  remarkable.  These 
latter  pieces  are  not  useful  even  for  decoration,  and 
would  better  occupy  a  back  shelf  in  a  pantry  closet. 
From  about  1830  to  1850,  a  potter  named  Clementson 
had  the  Sydenham  potteries.  He  made  "iron-stone" 
and  signed  it "  Sydenham,  J.  Clementson."    The  colour 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.       59 

was  often  a  pale  blue  ;  the  subjects  are  what  our 
grandmothers  would  have  called  in  "  classical  style," 
and  they  have  little  beauty  and  small  merit. 

Riley  is  another  name  which  the  china  hunter  often 
runs  across,  and  comes  to  connect  with  a  splendid 
shade  of  blue,  decorated  with  fruits  and  flowers. 
Many  eighteen-inch  platters  have  come  to  my  notice 
signed  by  this  firm,  "  J.  &  R.  Riley,"  all  of  which  make 
a  fine  spot  of  colour,  but  lack  the  historic  interest 
which  we  are  apt  to  demand.  They  made  the  univer- 
sal willow-pattern  in  their  ware,  and  at  least  contrive 
to  give  it  an  artistic  touch  and  some  approach  to 
grace.  The  name  Riley  is  impressed,  or  the  lettering 
is  "  Riley  semi-china."     (See  list  of  English  Views.) 

This  "  willow.pattern,"  which  most  china  collectors 
devoutly  wish  had  never  been  invented,  was  first 
introduced  on  English  wares  at  the  Caughley  Pottery, 
which  became  known  as  the  Salopian  works.  It  was 
first  put  on  porcelain  ware  about  1780,  and  became  so 
popular  that  it  was  freely  copied  at  almost  all  other 
works  and  was  put  on  stone-ware,  pottery  and  por- 
celain indiscriminately.  That  all  people  do  not  feel 
an  antipathy  to  the  willow-pattern  is  shown  from  a 
letter  which  lies  before  me.  In  it  a  gentleman  tells 
me  that  he  has  a  country  place  called  "  The  Willows," 
and  in  it  are  three  thousand  pieces  of  willow-pattern 
china,  some  of  which,  in  peculiar  shapes,  he  had  made 
in  England  !  Besides  all  these  reproductions  he  had 
carpets  made  in  the  same  design,  "  wall-papers,  bed- 
spreads, furniture  covering,  and  draperies,  in  cotton, 
silk  and  linen."  Surely  there  may  be  too  much  of  a 
good  thing. 

Why  the  really  handsome  "  blue  dragon  "  patten; 


6o  THE   OLD   CHINA   BOOK. 

did  not  suceed  in  winning  popularity  and  the  willow 
did,  will  forever  remain  a  mystery  to  the  china  col- 
lector. Pieces  of  this  dragon  pattern  may  be  found 
occasionally  tucked  away  in  dusty  "  butteries,"  and  it 
may  have  an  edge  showing  traces  of  having  been 
richly  gilded.  The  specimens  are  not  always  marked, 
but  the  letter  "S"  in  blue  under  glaze,  sometimes 
having  a  small  cross  in  addition,  a  butterfly,  or  a  pair 
of  crossed  swords,  like  the  familiar  Dresden  mark, 
were  all  used  at  Caughley.  Such  pieces  are  desirable 
and  should  be  secured  if  possible.  The  oblong  plat- 
ters with  circular  centers  are  worthy  a  place  in  any 
collection. 


Fig.  55.     RHODE  ISLAND.     T.  Mayer. 


Fig.  56,     PENNSYLVANIA.     T.  Mayer. 


Fig.  57.     NEW  YORK.     T.  .Uay, 


Fig.  58.     DELAWARE.      T.  Afaye^. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

STAFFORDSHIRE   WARES,   CONTINUED. 

About  the  year  1829  the  Dale  Hall  works  at 
Burslem  again  changed  hands.  They  were  bought 
from  Joseph  Stubbs  by  the  Mayer  brothers,  who  be- 
came successful  potters.  Just  at  what  time  Thomas 
made  his  ornamental  set  of  the  Arms  of  the  States  is 
not  known,  but  they  are  merely  marked  with  the 
name  T.  Mayer.  His  mark  is  very  conspicuous,  and 
is  found  on  the  plates  and  platters  on  which  these 
seals  are  usually  found.  There  is  an  impressed  mark 
of  "  T.  Mayer,  Warranted,"  and  "  Stone  Staffordshire," 
with  an  eagle.  In  addition  there  is  also  an  impressed 
eagle  in  blue,  with  a  ribbon  in  his  mouth,  with  the 
well-known  words  "  E  Pluribus  Unum  "  on  it.  He 
bears  a  branch  in  one  talon,  and  bolts  in  another,  and 
has,  as  a  background,  thirteen  stars.  The  border  is 
alike  on  all  the  pieces,  vine  leaves  and  trumpet  flowers. 
The  marginal  borders  are  overlapping  scales  brokea 
at  equal  distances  by  wheels.  Inside  there  is  a  lac© 
like  border  surrounding  the  arms  themselves.  These 
are  by  no  means  easy  pieces  to  find.  Pennsylvania 
(shown  in  FiG  56),  is  taken  from  an  eighteen-inch 
platter,  which  is  valued  at  over  one  hundred  dollars. 
At  a  recent  sale  in  New  York  City  only  two  were 
offered,  both  badly  cracked,  one  an  eight-and-three- 
quarters-inch  plate  and  one  a  ten-inch  plate,  and  yet 


62  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

each  brought  in  the  neighbourhood  of  fifteen  dollars. 
A  perfect  plate,  with  the  Rhode  Island  Arms,  eight 
and  three  quarters  inches  in  size,  cannot  be  had  for 
less  than  twenty-five  dollars.  Just  why  these  Arms 
should  command  more  than  the  New  York  Seal  it  is 
hard  to  say.  Perhaps  less  were  made.  At  any  rate 
the  fact  remains  that  it  is  so. 

Recently  an  artist  wrote  to  ask  if  the  New  York 
Arms  had  any  value.  He  was  gratified  to  be  assured 
that  it  was  worth  a  round  sum.  In  the  early  days  of 
"  rummage  sales,"  three  or  four  years  ago,  there  were 
great  opportunities  to  pick  up  old  china,  which  had 
lain  neglected  scores  of  years,  and  which  house- 
keepers were  glad  to  clear  out.  It  was  in  such  cir- 
cumstances that  the  Queen's  ware  pitcher  (shown  in 
Fig.  3),  was  secured  for  six  cents.  But  these  Arms 
plates  and  platters,  when  one  does  find  them,  are 
usually  in  very  fine  condition,  not  scratched  or  greased. 
Perhaps  it  was  their  unfamiliar  look  which  saved  them, 
as  a  feeling  of  reverence  seems  to  have  saved  the 
scriptural  pieces. 

In  Fig.  58  is  shown  Delaware,  one  of  the  hand- 
somest of  the  series,  though  that  of  South  Carolina, 
with  its  palmetto  tree,  comes  next  to  Pennsylvania, 
which  is  undoubtedly  the  most  ornamental  and  best 
coloured  of  them  all.  The  whole  thirteen  would  be  a 
noble  decoration  for  a  hall  or  dining-room  and  an 
interesting  study  as  well,  for  some  changes  have  been 
made  from  the  original  designs.  For  instance  in  the 
Arms  of  New  York  the  figures  now  stand  beside  the 
shield  instead  of  being  seated.  Delaware  preserves 
hers  quite  as  it  was  originally.  Rhode  Island  still 
uses  an  anchor  and  the  word  Hope,  but  in  different 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued. 


63 


arrangement,  while  South  Carolina  has  abandoned 
her  characteristic  tree  and  uses  two  ovals  in  a  circle, 
less  agreeable  in  every  way. 

I  made  an  interesting  discovery  the  other  day  in 
looking  over  some  sugar  bowls  and  teapots  of  old 
blue,  all  decorated  with  the  tomb  design.  One 
had  the  design  showing  Washington's  Tomb  (so 
marked).  The  design  was  exactly  like  the  one  on 
Wood's  pieces;  but  the  border,  which  was  somewhat 
indistinct,  was  of  other  flowers  than  those  which  Wood 
uses.  But  the  seated  figure,  the  setting  sun,  the 
temple  in  the  distance  were  identical.  Yet  the 
piece  was  plainly  marked  with  the  impressed  stamp 
"  T.  Mayer,  Stone,  Staffordshire,  Warranted,"  all  in 
the  familiar  circle  with  eagle  in  the  center.  Of  course 
Mayer  did  not  make  sugar  bowls  alone.  There  must 
have  been  other  pieces  to  go  with  the  sugar  bowls,  and 
the  former  may  very  easily  have  been  overlooked,  or 
classed  as  belonging  to  other  makers,  as  the  sugar  bowl 
is  usually  the  only  piece  marked  in  these  tea  sets. 
All  these  years  Mayer  has  been  credited  with  making 
the  Arms  only,  and  now  the  tomb  piece  has  appeared, 
and  there  may  be  other  patterns  yet  awaiting  identi- 
fication (Fig.  59). 

Lowell  says,  "  I  stand  by  the  old  thought,  the  old 
thing,  the  old  place  and  the  old  friend."  We  do  not 
give  anything  time  to  grow  old,  to  get  that  dignity 
which  a  hundred  years  bestows.  We  are  too  anxious 
to  renew,  rebuild,  pull  down  and  put  up  something 
larger,  I  think  that  one  of  the  reasons  why  this  old 
china  is  so  eagerly  sought  is  because  it  stands  for  a 
measure  of  antiquity  ;  it  has  the  hall  mark  of  age,  and 
we    love  to  have  it  to    sober   down    our   newness   of 


64  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

yesterday.  There  are  some  people  who  are  harbouring 
these  angels  unawares.  I  have  a  letter  from  one 
enthusiast  in  the  West,  who  discovered  that  she  had 
in  the  attic  a  perfect  vegetable  dish  of  the  "  Landing  of 
Lafayette."  She  says,  "I  read  your  description 
carefully,  and  then  flew  up  to  the  attic  and  got  down 
that  old  blue  dish  which  had  lain  there  ever  since  I 
could  remember.  When  it  was  dusted  and  I  saw  the 
pattern  and  lettering,  a  weird,  holy,  sentimental  thrill 
crept  down  my  spine,  and  I  had  to  write  and  let  you 
know  I  had  it." 


William  Adams  &f  Sons. 


The  Adams  family,  first  the  father,  William,  then  the 
two  sons  whom  he  associated  with  himself,  had  potter- 
ies in  seven  different  places.  The  original  works  were 
at  Stoke,  were  opened  early  in  1800,  and  were  operated 
until  the  sons  were  taken  into  business,  about  1830. 
Some  years  later  works  were  built  at  Tunstall  and 
Greenfield,  where  much  printed  ware  was  made,  the 
old  blue  being  superseded  by  other  colours. 

The  only  American  design  in  dark  blue  which  the 
elder  Adams  produced  was  a  picture  of  the  old  china 
warehouse  of  Mitchell  and  Freeman,  which  stood  on 
the  corner  of  Chatham  street,  Boston  (FiG.  60).  It 
has  the  handsome  foliage  border  with  which  we  are 
familiar  on  the  English  views,  with  the  ever-present 
pine  tree  on  the  left  side,  to  distinguish  it  from  the 


Fig.  59.     WASHINGTON'S  TOMB.      T.  iMayer. 


Fig.  60.     rillNA   W'AKKHOUSE, 
BOSTON.     Adams. 


Fig.  6-,.  .COLUMBUS  AND 
INDIANS.'  A  Jaws. 


Fig.  62.     ST.  GEORGE'S  CHAPEL,    REGENT     STREET,  LONDON. 

A  da  HIS. 


Fig.-63:    BR'ANXHOUM  CASTLE. 

,    '   K  .Ada:ns, 


Fig.  64.     JOHN  HANCOCK  HOUSE. 
Jackson. 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.      65 

foliage  borders  by  the  other  makers.  On  some  of  the 
small-sized  plates  this  tree  is  omitted.  When  the 
firm  removed  to  Tunstall  they  made  a  number  of 
American  designs,  all  of  them  interesting  from  the 
careful  manner  in  which  they  were  printed  and  from 
their  choice  and  artistic  borders. 

The  Columbus  series  consists  of  eight  views  of 
highly  imaginary  scenes  in  the  adventures  of  Colum- 
bus after  landing  on  our  shores.  FiG.  61  gives  one  of 
them  from  a  private  collection  in  New  Jersey.  The 
borders  are  irregular  medallions,  with  different  ani- 
mals, and  in  the  spaces  between  are  pretty  bunches  of 
roses.  These  views  are  printed  in  red,  mulberry,  black, 
etc.,  and  while  not  held  at  high  prices — a  perfect  ten- 
inch  plate  brings  about  five  dollars, — are  both  orna- 
mental and  interesting.  Adams  had  a  predilection  for 
medallion  borders,  for  there  is  a  single  view  of  New 
York  City,  most  humourous  in  design,  with  three  large 
medallions  of  a  sailor  boy  and  a  ship,  filling  almost 
the  whole  border. 

Another  series,  with  roses  and  scroll-work  border, 
has  ten  or  fifteen  designs,  printed  in  red,  black,  etc., 
of  such  scenes  as  Conway,  N.  H.,  Harper's  Ferry,  etc. 
As  in  the  other  series  all  the  designs  are  very  pictorial 
and  pleasing,  the  printing  is  good  and  clear,  and  the 
shape  of  the  plate  pretty. 

But  our  chief  interest  in  Adams's  ware  lies  in  the  no- 
tably fine  English  views,  of  which  they  issued  such  a 
number,  presumably  before  the  sets  dealing  with  Amer- 
ican subjects,  as  the  use  of  different  colours  for  printing 
succeeded  the  use  of  the  dark  blue.  In  the  foliage 
series  which  was  mentioned  before,  is  shown  a  splen- 
did    fifteen-inch    platter,    with    the    picture    of    St. 


66  THE    OLD    CHINA   BOOK. 

George's  chapel,  Regent  Street  London,  on  it  (FiG. 
62).  The  mark  on  the  back  is  a  printed  blue  eagle 
with  extended  wings,  and  grasping  a  twig  in  one  claw, 
and  four  arrows  or  darts  in  the  other.  Below  him  is 
a  ribbon  festooned,  and  on  it  is  printed  the  name  of 
the  view.  There  are  many  views  in  Regent's  Park, 
London,  almost  as  many  as  in  the  Wood's  series.  In 
the  series  with  the  border  of  bluebells  and  other 
flowers,  which  has  been  used  by  Clews  as  well  as 
Adams  (see  FiG.  34),  the  stamp,  with  the  name  of 
the  view  in  a  scroll,  with  flowers,  is  identical  with  the 
mark  used  by  Clews,  except  that  Adams's  name 
appears  also.  There  are  eighteen  or  twenty  of  these 
views  already  identified,  and  Branxholm  Castle,  Rox- 
burghshire, one  of  them,  is  shown  in  FiG.  63. 

It  is  so  unusual  to  find  any  mention  of  the  Stafford- 
shire potters  in  English  works,  that  the  scrap  of 
information  contained  in  Downman's  "  English  Pot- 
tery and  Porcelain  "  is  welcome.  It  says  that  William 
Adams  was  Wedgwood's  favourite  pupil,  and  that  he 
was  initiated  into  all  the  mysteries  of  Etruria.  That 
it  was  his  experiments  which  led  to  improvements  in 
the  blue  jasper  body  by  adding  gold  filings  to  its 
chief  ingredient,  the  sulphate  of  baryta.  "After 
Josiah's  death  Adams  settled  at  Tunstall  and  pro- 
duced many  fine  specimens  of  ornamental  jasper  and 
basalt  ware."  It  goes  on  to  say,  what  has  already 
been  mentioned,  that  most  of  Adams's  manufacture 
was  marked  with  his  name,  impressed,  or  "  by  a  peculiar 
border  ornament  of  interlaced  circles."  Of  course 
there  is  no  mention  of  either  the  American  or  Eng- 
lish printed  blue  ware. 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.       67 


J,  &'  J,  Jackson. 


The  firm  of  J.  &  J.  Jackson,  which  occupied  a 
position  of  importance  among  the  minor  Staffordshire 
potters,  made  many  designs  particularly  for  our  mar- 
ket, in  various  shades  of  red,  mulberry  and  brown,  and 
also  in  light  blue  and  black.  They  had  works  at  Bur- 
slem,  England,  and,  as  they  made  no  dark  blue  ware, 
it  is  probable  that  they  came  on  the  scene  rather  late. 
No  record  is  found  of  them  after  1845,  so  that  the 
numerous  specimens  of  their  ware  which  abound 
over  here,  were  made  prior  to  that  time.  The  best 
known  piece  by  them  is  the  Hancock  House,  Boston 
(shown  in  FiG.  64).  I  have  seen  it  in  eight-inch  plates 
alone.  It  is  most  often  found  in  red  or  brown,  and 
makes  an  ornamental  piece  of  colour,  particularly  in  the 
red,  which  is  a  rich  shade.  Although  these  plates 
are  not  in  the  much-desired  blue,  they  command  very 
high  prices,  a  perfect  one,  even  in  its  small  size,  bring- 
ing between  fifteen  and  twenty  dollars,  and  one  with 
a  crack  holding  its  own  for  twelve  dollars.  It  is 
pleasant  to  think  that  it  is  the  historic  interest  that 
makes  it  valuable. 

Before  John  Hancock  came  into  the  possession  of 
this  stately  house  he  passed  through  many  stirring 
times.  In  ante-Revolutionary  days  living  was  stren- 
uous, and  many  and  secret  were  the  meetings  in  out- 
of-the-way  taverns  in  the  suburbs  of  Boston,  when 
companies  of  rangers  and  minute  men  were  organized. 
Mr.  Hancock  was  a  brilliant  figure  in  these  days,  six- 
feet  tall,  broad-shouldered  and  dressed  in  the  tip  of  the 
mode.     He  appeared  one  night  at  one  of  these  secret 


68  THE    OLD    CHINA   BOOK. 

meetings  dressed  in  an  apple-green  cloth  coat,  with 
knee  breeches  of  silver  net  tied  at  the  knees  with  pea- 
green  ribbon.  He  wore  white  silk  stockings  and  pumps 
with  large  silver  buckles,  and  displayed  much  fine  lace 
at  wrist  and  throat.  His  hair  was  rolled  and  pow- 
dered  and  tied  in  a  queue.  No  wonder  such  a  figure 
took  the  fancy  of  Dorothy  Q.,  when,  in  1775,  Hancock 
and  Adams,  who  were  excepted  from  a  general  pardon, 
were  taking  refuge  in  the  house  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Clarke 
at  Lexington.  She  was  staying  in  the  same  house 
under  the  care  of  an  aunt,  and  Dorothy  and  her 
gallant  lover  whiled  away  the  tedious  hours  in  court- 
ship, while  the  graver  Mr.  Adams  discussed  theology 
and  politics  with  their  reverend  host. 

The  Hancock  mansion  was  built  in  1737  by  Thomas 
Hancock,  and  came  by  inheritance  to  his  nephew, 
John  Hancock.  The  site  of  the  new  State  House 
was  Hancock's  pasture,  and  orchards  surrounded  this 
princely  mansion.  The  building  was  of  stone,  a  low 
stone  wall  protected  the  grounds  from  the  street,  and 
a  paved  walk  and  a  dozen  steps  conducted  to  the 
mansion.  A  wooden  hall,  sixty  feet  long,  was  at- 
tached to  the  north  wing,  and  here  Hancock  received 
D'Estaing  in  1778,  Lafayette  in  1781,  Washington  in 
1789,  and  in  later  times  Lords  Stanley  and  Wortley, 
Labouchere  and  Bougainville.  Governor  Hancock 
was  a  generous  host,  and  during  the  stay  of  D'Estaing 
forty  of  his  officers  dined  every  day  at  the  governor's 
table.  It  is  a  pity  that  the  efforts  to  retain  this  nota- 
ble mansion  were  not  successful.  As  late  as  1863  it 
remained  intact  and  filled  with  the  original  relics, 
pictures  and  furniture.  But  it  was  pulled  down,  and 
with  it  disappeared  the  only  monument  to  a  notable 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.      69 

figure,  until  one  was  recently  erected  in  the  Granary 
burying  ground. 


Rogers, 


Between  1810  and  1836  or  1840,  there  were  several 
firms  of  Staffordshire  potters  that  made  one,  two,  or 
half  a  dozen  American  designs,  sometimes  in  dark 
blue,  sometimes  in  various  colours,  and  generally  of 
some  merit.  The  Rogers  brothers,  and  afterwards  the 
Rogerses,  father  and  son,  were  such  a  firm,  and  they 
chose  for  their  subject  the  Boston  State  House,  of 
which  they  made  three  views.  One  of  these,  the  one 
that  has  cows  in  the  foreground,  is  almost  identical 
with  the  view  made  by  Stubbs,  but  the  border  of  roses 
and  forget-me-nots  makes  the  identification  simple. 
In  Fig.  65  is  presented  a  pitcher  with  this  design. 
On  the  other  side  is  a  view  of  the  City  Hall,  New 
York.  The  pitcher  is  five  and  one-half  inches  high, 
and  sold  at  auction  in  Boston  for  twenty-eight  dollars, 
in  November,  1901.  It  was  in  proof  condition  and  of 
a  very  rich  shade  of  blue.  Doctor  Holmes  says,  in  his 
"  Autocrat  at  the  Breakfast  Table  :  "  "  Boston  State 
House  is  the  hub  of  the  solar  system,  you  couldn't 
pry  that  out  of  a  Boston  man  if  you  had  the  tire  of  all 
creation  straightened  out  for  a  crowbar."  While 
Rogers  made  his  views  many  years  before  this  was 
written,  he  seems  to  have  appreciated  the  feeling.  He 
also  made  a  series  of  designs  of  no  particular  interest 
or  merit,  not  in  dark  blue,  of  such  subjects  as  "  The 
Adopted  Child,"  "  Love  in  a  Villac^e,"  etc. 


70  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

Thomas    Godwin, 

It  would  be  a  matter  of  interest  to  know  why- 
Thomas  Godwin,  in  marking  his  pottery,  did  not  put 
the  word  "  Wharf  "  below  his  name,  or  separate  the  two 
in  some  way.  It  has  caused  collectors  much  annoy- 
ance to  find  no  mention  of  T.  Godwin  Wharf  in  any 
book,  while  they  owned  interesting  American  views 
marked  in  this  way.  Thomas  Godwin  had  his  works 
at  Burslem  Wharf,  but  left  out  Burslem  and  added 
Wharf  to  his  name. 

The  views  are  in  the  usual  colours,  other  than  dark 
blue,  some  of  them  being  printed  in  a  fine  shade  of 
green.  The  border  is  a  stiff  arrangement  of  morning 
glories  and  nasturtiums. 

Godwin  confined  himself  chiefly  to  views  of  cities, 
Baltimore,  Utica,  etc.  His  eighteen-inch  platters  are 
eight-sided  and  quite  decorative,  being  well  and  clearly 
printed.  They  bring  from  fifteen  to  twenty  dollars 
each,  which  seems  a  very  high  price  for  ware  which 
can  never  be  esteemed  as  highly  as  the  dark  blue. 

S,  Tarns  &f  Co. 

Tarns  &f  Anderson, 

TamSy  Anderson  &f  Tarns, 

The  view  of  the  United  States  Hotel,  Philadelphia, 
with  the  impressed  mark,  S.  Tams  &  Co.,  has  long 
been  known  to  collectors.  FiG.  66  shows  it.  The 
piece  is  handsome,  fine  in  colour,  with  one  of  the  foli- 
age  borders  which  are  so  soft    and  ornamental,  and 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.      71 

variations  of  which  were  used  by  Wood,  and  also  by 
Adams  on  some  of  their  Staffordshire  ware.  It  is 
only  within  a  short  time  that  new  pieces  have  come  to 
light  with  the  same  border  as  is  shown  in  FiG.  66,  and 
marked  variously  S.  Tams  &  Co. ;  Tarns  ;  Tams  &  An- 
derson ;  Tams,  Anderson  &  Tams,  proving  that  these 
designs  issued  from  the  same  works  under  different 
firm  names.  None  of  these  names  is  found  in  books 
on  English  potters,  but  this  is  the  rule  with  regard  to 
the  Staffordshire  men,  rather  than  the  exception. 
There  are  two  American  views  which  have  been  identi- 
fied, and  five,  possibly  six,  English  scenes,  with  which 
is  included  the  post  ofifice  at  Dublin,  Ireland.  The 
American  pieces  have  the  mark  "  S.  Tams  &  Co.,"  im- 
pressed. The  English  views  have  a  blue  stamp,  very 
large  and  heavy,  bearing  in  it  the  name  of  the  view 
and  the  words  "  semi-china." 

The  Crown  works,  London,  belonged  to  the  Tamses, 
and  about  1840,  John  Tams,  who  had  probably  suc- 
ceeded to  the  Crown  works,  as  it  is  known  that  he 
potted  in  London,  made  for  a  wealthy  Philadelphia 
merchant  two  sets  of  plates  in  a  medium  blue,  dec- 
orated with  portraits  of  General  Harrison  on  one  set 
and  of  Henry  Clay  on  the  other.  The  borders  were 
undecorated  save  by  two  lines  of  blue.  At  the  same 
time,  and  in  honour  of  the  same  campaign,  were 
struck  off  many  pieces  of  glass,  bottles,  cup-plates,  etc., 
bearing  portraits  and  various  devices.  Some  of  these 
relics  are  still  in  the  possession  of  descendants  of  Gen- 
eral W.  H.  Harrison,  as  well  as  much  interesting 
furniture,  brass,  silver  and  pewter  which  have  be- 
longed to  the  family  in  various  generations  since  early 
colonial  days 


72  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

yoseph  Heath  &f  Co. 
{J.  H.  &f  Co.) 

(See  Fig.  6y) 

Joseph  Heath  &  Co.  must  have  run  a  large  and  pros, 
parous  pottery  at  Tunstall.  The  mark  "J.  H.  &  Co." 
is  abundantly  familiar  to  china  collectors  on  many 
pieces  of  the  ever-present  willow-pattern^  and  the 
more  tiresome  "  flow  blue."  There  are  also  pieces 
which  have  a  moderate  interest,  the  Ontario  Lake 
view  for  instance,  which  must  have  been  left  to  the 
fancy  of  the  English  potter,  who  made  the  lake  a 
river  and  ornamented  its  shores  with  towers  and 
castles  and  gaily  dressed  ladies. 

The  most  interesting  design  made  by  this  firm  is 
the  one  which  shows  the  residence  of  Richard  Jordan, 
an  eminent  Quaker  preacher.  The  border  is  very  hand- 
some, with  flowers  and  scrolls,  and  the  view  is  printed 
in  half-a-dozen  different  colours,  the  best  being  a  fine 
shade  of  red  and  mulberry.  The  plates  have  the 
wavy  margin  found  in  many  plates  of  this  period,  and 
the  ware  has  more  than  the  usual  lightness  that  is 
characteristic  of  the  semi-china. 


Charles  Meigh, 


The  grandfather  of  Charles  Meigh  had  pottery 
works  at  Hanley  as  early  as  1770.  These  potteries 
have  always  been  esteemed  for  the  class  of  work  put 
out  by  them,  the  high  standard  being  kept  up  by  the 


Fig.  65.     STATE  HOt'SE,  BOSTON, 
Kogers. 


Fig.  66.    U.  S.  HOTEL,  PHILA- 
DELPHIA.     S.    Tarns  &^  Co. 


Fig.  67.     RICHARD   lORDAN'S  RESIDENXE.     H^aU. 


Fig.  t,S.     LiJUISV 


Fig.  69.     SAXDUSKV,  OHIO.     Maker  unknown. 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.       73 

father  of  Charles,  and  afterwards  by  the  latter  him- 
self. 

When  various  colours  had  succeeded  old  blue, 
Charles  Meigh  made  a  small  set  of  American  views. 
He  called  them  "American  Cities  and  Scenery." 
The  border  is  of  small  flowers  and  is  known  as  the 
"  chickweed  "  border,  but  is  not  very  pretty  or  artistic. 
He  made,  however,  the  only  view  of  Yale  College 
which  has  yet  appeared.  Indeed  he  potted  down  to 
such  very  recent  times  (1861),  and  the  output  from  the 
old  Hall  works  was  so  varied  and,  in  general,  of  so  high 
character,  that  he  is  distinguished  by  quite  extended 
notices  in  the  works  on  pottery  by  Englishmen. 
Perhaps  what  gave  him  his  greatest  reputation  were 
the  pieces  he  made  in  Parian  ware,  like  the  beautiful 
Minster  jug  which  is  shown  in  FiG.  139. 

His  printed  ware  was  good,  but  does  not  begin 
to  show  the  artistic  excellence  of  this  beautifully 
modelled  jug. 

T/iomas  Green, 

Thomas  Green  had  a  pottery  at  Fenton  in  the 
middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  worked  until 
almost  the  beginning  of  our  Civil  War.  His  ware 
is  not  good  ;  it  is  made  in  various  colours  ;  and  the 
subject,  William  Penn's  Treaty  with  the  Indians,  is  set 
forth  in  grotesque  fashion.  There  are  half-a-dozen  or 
more  variations  of  this  theme,  in  which  Penn  himself, 
Indians  in  oriental  dress  and  surroundings,  tropical 
fruit  and  other  eccentricities  are  duly  pictured.  The 
border  is  very  ornate,  of  geometric  figures,  giving  a 
somewhat  pointed  effect. 


74  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

J.  m  r.  Edwards. 

Among  the  latest  of  these  Staffordshire  potters 
were  the  Edwards  brothers,  who  had  works  at  Bur- 
slem.  They  did  not  work  here  long,  and  one  of  the 
brothers,  James,  bought  the  Rogers  works,  also  at 
Burslem,  about  1842,  and  made  some  marine  designs, 
called  the  "  Boston  Mails  "  series,  showing  the  cab- 
ins of  a  steamboat.  They  were  made  in  various 
colours,  as  all  this  later  and  less  interesting  ware  was. 

Me  I  lory  V enables  &f  Co, 

These  potters,  whose  works  were  at  Burslem,  made, 
at  about  the  same  period  as  the  Edwardses,  some  half 
dozen  or  more  designs  to  please  the  American  market. 
Although  printed  in  light  blue,  red,  mulberry,  etc., 
the  pieces  are  rather  pleasing,  and  have  strong  enough 
colour  to  be  decorative.  The  border  is  in  medallion 
style  with  coats  of  arms,  festooned  with  wreaths,  and 
between  them  bunches  of  small  flowers.  The  pieces 
are  named,  but  it  seems  as  if  the  designs  were  made 
by  an  English  artist,  and  were  totally  imaginary. 


"J.  Br  "F.  Mr  and  Thomas  Ford. 

Each  made  a  single  design  of  small  merit.  "The 
Texan  Campaign  "  is  signed  J.  B.  "  The  American 
Marine "  is  by  F.  M.  ,  and  Thomas  Ford  made 
"  America." 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.       75 

"  Unknown  Makers T 
Designs  in  dark  blue. 

(See  Fig.  68) 

Under  this  heading  is  found  some  of  the  best  pieces 
of  old,  dark-blue  china  known.  Whether  it  was  that 
some  of  the  English  potters  preferred  not  to  sign  the 
ware  intended  for  us,  content  to  gain  only  the  spoils, 
one  cannot  say.  Yet  much  china  was  sent  over  with 
borders  which  render  it  easy  of  identification,  and  an 
occasional  marked  piece  has  been  a  guide  to  much 
more.  The  plan  of  grouping  by  borders,  started  by 
Mr.  Barber,  and  of  such  use  to  all  collectors,  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  here. 

There  is  a  large  number  of  pieces,  chiefly  views  of 
cities,  with  similar  borders,  of  large  flowers  and  scrolls, 
one  of  which  is  given  in  FiG.  69.  This  is  an  eighteen- 
inch  platter,  with  a  view  of  the  city  of  Sandusky,  Ohio. 
This  particular  platter  is  now  owned  in  the  South. 
It  was  recently  discovered  in  New  Jersey  in  an  attic, 
covered  with  dust,  and  treated  with  scant  care  by  the 
lady  to  whom  it  belonged.  She  regarded  it  as  such  an 
"ugly  old  thing"  that  she  was  unwilling  to  have  it 
about.  However,  as  it  had  been  in  the  family  for 
many  years,  she  offered  it  to  some  relatives.  They 
agreed  with  her  as  to  its  lack  of  interest  and  beauty, 
and  would  not  take  it  as  a  gift  ;  so  it  returned  to  its 
resting  place  of  a  half  a  century,  the  attic.  But  old 
china,  like  murder,  cannot  remain  hid,  and  somehow 
two  collectors  living  in  the  same  town  got  wind  of  the 
treasure  and  started  out  to  secure  it.  One  was  so 
sure  of  his  ability  to  bear  away  the  prize  that  he  took 


76  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

a  basket  to  carry  it  home  in.  He  went  away  empty- 
handed.  The  other,  having  better  luck,  got  the  plat- 
ter, the  owner  taking  five  dollars  less  than  she  was 
offered,  she  was  so  sure  the  platter  was  not  worth  it. 
Our  collector's  luck  still  stood  by  him,  and  he  sold  his 
platter  for  fifty  dollars  and  a  ten-inch  States  plate  in 
proof  condition.  I  know  of  only  five  of  these  platters, 
and  have  recently  received  a  letter  from  a  lady  who  was 
born  in  Sandusky,  and  wishes  a  platter  as  a  memento 
of  her  early  home.  Often  a  small  beginning  will  start 
a  collection,  and  if  she  secures  her  platter  it  will  not 
be  long  before  a  mate  to  it  is  wanted,  and  lo  !  the 
madness  is  on. 

Fig.  70  is  another  view  in  the  same  set,  and  shows 
a  view  of  Albany,  N.  Y.  They  were  delightfully 
primitive  in  Albany  in  those  days,  and  the  ferry  seems 
equally  open  to  man  or  beast. 

The  small  plate  in  FiG.  26  shows  another  one  of 
this  series.  It  is  a  view  near  Fishkill-on-the-Hud- 
son.  In  the  teapot  given  in  FiG.  71  is  another  piece 
which  is  also  labelled  "unknown.''  It  is  a  fine  speci- 
men, of  a  splendid  blue,  and,  as  you  see  it,  restored  to 
its  original  proportions.  When  it  "  blew  in,"  on  a 
third  of  July  a  year  or  two  ago,  it  had  no  knob  to 
the  cover,  and  the  spout  was  quite  half  gone.  The 
farmer  who  brought  it  wrapped  in  the  usual  bit  of 
newspaper,  thought  "  a  dollar  a'naf  would  be  about 
right."  He  went  off  with  his  money,  well  satisfied. 
Perhaps  he  enjoyed  his  Fourth  as  well  as  the  collec- 
tor,  but  I  doubt  it. 

There  is  another  set  of  views  which  is  always  pro- 
vocative of  much  discussion  among  collectors.  Till 
recently   the  three   views,    one  of  the   ship    Cadmus^ 


Fig.  70.     ALBANY,  N    Y.     Maker  unkn 


Fig.  71.     BALTIMORE  ALMSHOUSE.     Maker  unknown. 


Fig.  72.     FULTON  STEAMBOAT.     Maker  unknoi 


Tift. .73.-   EULOGY  V'L'VIE. 
,   .     -M<\ki:r  unknown 


Fig  74      b  PICA  INSC  RIPTION 
PLA  1  E.     Maker  unknozvn. 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.      77 

one  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad,  and  the  third 
of  the  "  Fulton  Steamboat,"  as  it  is  called  (FiG.  72), 
have  always  been  classed  among  American  views. 
Many  collectors  have  been  at  much  time  and  expense 
to  get  these  pieces,  and  they  are  all  handsome,  of  a 
rich  blue  colour,  and  with  a  clear  and  handsome  bor- 
der. The  first  view,  the  Cadmus,  is  unmarked  in  any 
way.  It  shows  a  ship  dressed  with  flags,  but  in  this 
view,  as  well  as  in  FiG.  72,  no  American  flag  is  shown. 

The  English  potters,  in  making  ware  for  our  market, 
regarded  our  flag  as  particularly  appealing  to  us, 
and  inserted  it  in  many  scenes  and  on  many  ships 
that  could  not  possibly  have  been  American.  So  its 
absence  on  this  occasion  does  not  seem  significant. 
The  theory  is  advanced  that  the  building  on  the  shore 
is  not  all  American  ;  but  on  the  other  hand,  a  small 
detail  like  this  did  not  stand  in  the  way  of  the  Eng- 
lish  potter. 

Very  recently  two  cases  of  views  wrongly  marked 
were  brought  to  my  notice.  The  well-known  view  of 
Lake  George,  with  shell  border,  by  Wood,  was  mark- 
ed "  The  Battery "  on  the  back,  and  the  view  of 
"  Newburg  on  Hudson,"  by  Clews,  has  been  found 
marked  "  Hudson  City,  on  Hudson."  Of  course  as 
the  views  were  equally  unfamiliar  to  the  potters,  we 
can  see  how  easily  they  might  be  confused. 

There  is  still  another  set  of  "  Unknown  Makers" 
views,  which  are  quite  as  ornamental  as  those  shown. 
The  border  is  fine  bunches  of  fruits  and  flowers,  and 
so  far  there  are  but  four  pieces  identified  with  it,  two 
views  in  Baltimore  and  two  in  Philadelphia.  In  addi- 
tion to  these  series  there  are  quite  a  number  of  other 
views  with  various  borders,  which  have,  so   far,  not 


78  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

been  identified  with  regard  to  the  pottery  from  which 
they  were  issued.  They  are  all  good,  some  are  hard 
to  find,  and  most  of  them  command  quite  as  high 
prices  as  the  pieces  marked  with  maker's  stamp.  Then, 
too,  there  are  a  few  pieces  which  come  under  the  head 
of  "Inscription  Pieces." 

The  best  known  of  these  is  commonly  called  the 
"  Eulogy  Plate."  It  was  struck  off  to  commemorate 
the  opening  of  the  "  big  ditch."  It  is  given  in  FiG. 
73.  The  inscription  can  easily  be  read  on  the  plate 
itself,  and  it  sometimes  varies  as  to  one  word.  Some 
of  the  plates  read  "  Late  Governor,"  and  in  some, 
ours  among  the  number,  the  "  late  "  is  omitted  and 
its  place  filled  by  a  scroll.  This  plate  is  of  ten-inch 
size,  has  two  bad  cracks  which  are  even  visible  in  the 
photograph,  and  yet  sold  for  twenty-five  dollars. 

To  us  with  our  "  flyers"  and  lightning  expresses, 
to  say  nothing  of  motor  cars,  the  canal  seems  a  most 
poky  and  tame  affair.  Turning  over  the  leaves  of  an 
old  diary  I  came  across  this  note :  "  Commended  my 
soul  to  God,  and  asking  his  defence  from  danger,  I 
stepped  aboard  the  canal-boat  and  was  soon  flying  to- 
ward Utica."  No  doubt  one  of  the  boats  shown  on 
the  margin  of  the  plate  was  the  famous  packet, 
"  Redbird."  The  writer  of  the  diary  quoted,  men- 
tions the  excitement  when  the  "  Redbird  "  raced  with 
a  rival  boat.  There  were  people  who  adhered  to  the 
stage  coach  rather  than  brave  the  perils  of  the  raging 
canal,  but  for  bridal  trips  this  packet  was  "the  thing." 

In  Fig.  74  we  show  the  eight-inch  Utica  inscription 
plate,  which  reads  as  follows,  "  Utica,  a  village  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  thirty  years  since  a  wilderness, 
now  (1824)  inferior  to  none  in  the  western  section  of 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.       79 

the  state,  in  population,  wealth,  commercial  enter- 
prise,  active  industry  and  civil  improvements." 
These  plates  are  made  evidently  by  the  same  firm 
that  made  the  Eulogy  ones,  as  the  borders  plainly 
show.  They  are  very  rare,  and  are  held  at  fifty  dol- 
lars each,  and  over.  Happy  the  collector  who  is  able 
to  "  pick  one  up." 

These  inscriptions  are  sometimes  found  on  pitchers 
as  well  as  plates.  The  other  two  inscription  plates  are 
not  in  dark  blue,  but  are  of  a  somewhat  later  period. 
The  next  in  point  of  interest  is  the  Lovejoy  plate,  as 
it  is  called  (FiG.  75).  This  pattern  is  found  on  both 
dinner-sets  and  tea-sets  in  medium  blue,  and  also  in 
mulberry.  The  border  is  composed  of  four  medallions 
with  inscriptions,  alternating  with  eagles  and  shields. 
The  background  of  the  border  is  dotted  with  stars. 
In  the  center  is  the  following :  "  Congress  shall  make 
no  laws  respecting  an  establishment  of  religion,  or 
prohibiting  the  free  exercise  thereof ;  or  abridging 
the  free  exercise  of  speech,  or  of  the  press,  or  the  right 
of  people  peaceably  to  assemble  and  to  petition  the 
government  for  a  redress  of  grievances.  Constitution 
United  States." 

On  many  pieces,  ours  among  them,  are  found  in  the 
top  medallion  the  word,  "  Lovejoy,  the  first  martyr  to 
American  Liberty.  Alton,  November  7th,  1837." 
This  china  is  believed  to  be  the  gift  of  English  anti- 
slavery  believers  to  the  American  Abolitionists.  It  is 
unfortunate  that  this  fine  old  piece  was  selected  for 
forgery.  Any  person  who  is  used  to  handling  this  old 
ware  gets  to  detect  differences  by  mere  touch  that 
would  escape  the  casual  observer.  Not  only  were  the 
forged  plates  heavier,  but  they  were  thicker,  and  colder 


8o  THE    OLD   CHINA   BOOK. 

to  the  hand.  This  unprincipled  act  has  reduced  the 
price  of  these  plates  about  one  half,  and  collectors  are 
warned  to  examine  specimens  carefully  before  buying 
them.  The  cup-plates  of  this  pattern  have  escaped 
the  general  suspicion  and  are  selling  for  as  high  prices 
as  ever. 

The  fourth  plate  in  this  group  is  the  one  known  as 
the  "Millenium,"  by  Meakin.  It  is  very  rarely  found 
in  a  dark  shade  of  medium  blue,  but  the  usual  colour 
is  pink,  black  or  brown.  It  has  on  the  top,  in  the 
border,  an  eye.  In  the  center  is  a  group,  the  lion  and 
the  lamb,  etc.,  and  the  motto,  "  Peace  on  Earth." 
Fruits  and  flowers,  with  grain,  make  up  the  rest  of  the 
border.  There  are  quantities  of  these  plates  all  over 
the  country.  In  fact  such  numbers  of  them  were 
offered  for  sale  last  year,  in  several  sizes  of  plates, 
that  suspicion  was  aroused.  The  marks  of  the  stilts 
used  in  firing  should  be  carefully  looked  for,  and  the 
quality  of  the  china  tested,  before  purchase.  These 
coloured  pieces,  or  the  medium  blue,  are  easier  to  forge 
than  the  rich  dark  blue.  The  darkest  pieces  are  practi- 
cally safe. 

The  other  inscription  plates  are  all  of  less  interest 
and  value.  Perhaps  I  should  except  a  single  example, 
that  of  a  large  square  panel  with  the  inscription  "  Thou 
God,  see'st  me,"  in  the  center,  in  a  wreath.  The  bor- 
der of  this  panel  is  quite  ornate,  and  is  covered  by  the 
handsome  pink-spotted  Sunderland  lustre. 

Half  a  dozen  other  Scriptural  phrases  and  the 
Lord's  Prayer  may  be  found  also.  There  is  in  addi- 
tion  a  verse  printed  in  black,  with  a  border  of  raised 
figures,  animals  and  children,  which  should  be  included 
here : — 


Fig.  76.    BURNING  OF  MEki  il.vA  lo    i.XLllANGE,  NEW  YORK. 
Alaker  unknown. 


Fig.    77.       MEDALLION    PITCHER,    WASHINGTON,    JEFFERSON,    LAFAYETTE; 
AND  CLINTON.     ROCHESTER  AQUEDUCT  BRIDGE,  ENTRANCE 
OF  CANAL  AT  ALBANY.    R.  S.  &  IV. 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Conlinued.       8i 

"  Jesus,  my  all,  to  Heaven  is  gone. 
He  whom  I  fixed  my  hope  upon; 
His  track  I  see  &  I'll  pursue 
The  narrow  way  till  him  I  view." 

While  the  value  of  the  various  coloured  crockery  is 
always  less  than  that  of  the  dark  blue,  whether  hy 
known  or  unknown  makers,  there  are  quite  numerous 
designs  which  collectors  are  glad  to  secure,  as  they  are 
decorative  and  the  prices  comparatively  low.  The 
borders  are  generally  different ;  but,  in  FiG.  "jG,  we 
show  one  of  three  designs,  with  what  is  called  the 
"  Phoenix  and  engine  border."  The  mark  on  the  back 
of  the  plate  is  very  showy  and  comprises  a  large  eagle 
with  extended  wings,  and  in  front,  concealing  his  legs, 
a  panel  containing  the  words,  "  Exchange,  New  York." 
Above  the  panel  are  the  words  "  Stone  Ware,"  and 
over  the  eagle's  head  the  letter  "  D."  These  pieces 
were  made  after  1833,  when  the  great  fire  occurred 
which  destroyed  so  many  buildings.  The  "docu- 
ment "  which  this  plate  stands  for  is  most  interesting. 
In  the  first  place  it  shows  the  quaint  fashions  of  the 
times,  and  of  deeper  interest  still  the  inadequate  means 
there  were  for  battling  with  a  great  fire.  The  par- 
ticular plate  figured  is  a  soup  plate,  printed  in  muU 
berry,  and  was  found  in  a  small  village  in  New  York 
State,  In  its  present  aspect  it  is  a  triumph  of  the  re- 
storer's art.  On  its  outer  edge,  the  first  time  I  saw  it, 
there  were  eighteen  nicks,  showing  the  hard  service 
to  which  it  had  been  subjected,  in  the  chicken  house, 
if  I  remember  rightly,  before  it  was  rescued  and  re- 
stored. The  other  two  designs  in  this  series  are 
equally  interesting.     One  is  the  ruins  of  the  Exchange 


82  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

after  the  fire,  and  the  third  piece  is  the  "  Burning  of 
Coenties  Slip,  New  York." 

Of  all  these  plates  the  latter  would  appeal  most 
strongly  to  the  relic  hunter  and  antiquarian,  for  Coen- 
ties Slip  is  a  name  that  has  still  survived,  though  the 
arm  of  water  it  once  stood  for  has  been  crowded  back 
into  the  river,  and  in  its  place  is  the  one  green  spot  in 
all  that  busy  neighbourhood.  At  the  head  of  what 
was  once  Coenties  Slip  is  still  a  tiny  lane  not  much 
more  than  fifty  feet  long,  and  on  this  lane  (leading  off 
from  Pearl  street),  was  built,  in  1642,  the  first  City 
Hall — "  Stadt  Huis,"  Governor  William  Kieft  called 
it.  The  site  of  this  old  City  Hall  may  still  be  found, 
as  a  tablet  to  its  memory  has  been  fastened  to  the 
business  building  which  stands  where  it  once  did. 

Any  of  this  old  crockery,  "  old  dishes,"  as  it  is 
sometimes  contemptuously  called  by  people  who  do 
not  care  for  it,  is  nice  to  own  as  heirlooms,  or  for 
decoration.  But  the  ware  of  this  secondary  period 
has  not  the  value  of  the  rich  dark  blue.  The  English 
potters  were  so  anxious  to  capture  our  market  that 
every  species  of  device  which  they  thought  would  be 
popular  was  eagerly  seized  upon.  Many  of  Franklin's 
sayings  were  printed  on  cheap  white  ware  with  em- 
bossed borders,  or  the  alphabet  on  the  edge,  chiefly 
for  the  use  of  children,  on  small  plates  and  cups. 
The  plates  come  not  only  circular  but  octagonal  as 
well,  and  the  motto,  or  maxim,  is  often  illustrated  by 
rude  figures,  printed  in  black  and  touched  with  colour. 
No  list  is  given  of  these  pieces  as  they  speak  for  them- 
selves; and  the  collector  is  averse  to  buying  many  of 
them,  as  quite  a  number  of  the  patterns  have  been  re- 
produced in  modern  ware.     Their  only  interest  is  their 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.      83 

quaint  character ;  for  they  have  absolutely  no  beauty, 
and  a  collection  of  them  is  decidedly  monotonous. 

Scriptural  designs,  besides  those  made  by  Wood, 
were  also  made  by  Stevenson,  Mason,  Jackson,  Adams, 
Ridgway,  Meakin  and  Dillon.  They  explain  them- 
selves so  easily  that  we  have  not  listed  them.  There 
are,  perhaps,  about  fifty  designs  in  all,  by  different 
makers,  and  occasionally  a  new  one  comes  to  light. 
Such  a  one  is  a  nine-inch,  flat  red  plate,  by  Adams, 
marked  "  Cyrene."  It  has  a  different  border  from  the 
more  common  Palestine  designs,  and  is  better  printed 
than  those  in  two  colours. 

About  the  time  of  the  Centennial  Exposition  in 
Philadelphia,  numerous  designs  were  made  for  our 
market  by  English  potters  which  possess  a  certain  de- 
gree of  merit.  They  are  not  listed,  however,  for  the 
time  has  not  yet  arrived  when  they  possess  any  de- 
gree of  interest  or  value.  They  are  all  very  plainly 
marked  with  the  views  they  are  intended  to  represent, 
and  he  who  runs  may  read  their  story. 

Within  the  last  few  years  there  has  been  a  very 
large  number  of  American  scenes  made  in  England 
for  our  market,  and  printed  in  a  shade  of  dark  blue. 
The  best  ones  are  made  by  Wedgwood  at  Etruria,  and 
by  Minton.  They  can  be  purchased  both  in  Boston 
and  Philadelphia  from  the  firms  that  have  copyrighted 
and  imported  them.  This  winter  I  have  also  seen 
large  quantities  of  blue  china,  with  American  views, 
for  sale  at  department  stores  all  over  the  country. 
They  are  not  intended  to  deceive,  but  are  frankly 
sold  at  small  prices  as  modern  ware.  None  of  the 
old  views  or  border  patterns  are  copied,  and  no 
one    who    has    any  interest    in    old    china   can    for   a 


84  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

moment  regard  them  as  anything  but  the  newest  of 
the  new. 

Quite  different,  however,  are  a  series  of  intentional 
forgeries  which  have  been  put  out  within  the  last  year 
by  one  or  more  unscrupulous  dealers  to  deceive  pur- 
chasers. So  secure  were  collectors  that  the  rich  old 
blue  could  not  be  copied  that  they  bought  freely  of 
these  forgeries,  suspicion  only  arising  at  last  from  the 
large  number  of  certain  pieces,  all  of  the  same  size, 
that  appeared  on  the  market.  The  Lovejoy  plate, 
of  which  we  have  already  spoken,  was  the  first  of  these. 
Then  appeared  one  of  the  rare  Syntax  plates,  "  Doc- 
tor Syntax  painting  a  portrait,"  and  so  successful  was 
the  forger  that  many  of  these  plates  were  sold.  If 
you  compare  a  forgery  with  an  original  old  plate  the 
differences  are  very  marked.  The  colour  is  a  little 
different,  the  ware  is  heavier,  and  there  are  no  marks 
of  spurs  on  either  back  or  face,  an  almost  unfailing 
test  of  an  old  piece. 

I  have  seen  several  of  Ridgway's  New  York  City 
Hall  plates,  of  ten-inch  size,  of  which  I  am  very  doubt- 
ful. They  are  very  suspiciously  new  looking,  are 
without  the  spur  marks,  and  were  offered  for  sale  this 
last  year  in  such  numbers,  and  sold  for  such  small 
prices,  comparatively,  that  suspicion  was  at  first 
aroused. 

The  portraits  of  Lafayette  and  Washington,  printed 
in  other  colours  than  blue,  are  supposed  to  have  been 
counterfeited,  and  some  collectors  believe  "The  Land- 
ing of  Lafayette  "  has  been  copied  by  some  unscrupu- 
lous dealers.  It  will  generally  be  the  novice  who  will 
be  deceived  by  these  reproductions.  A  collector  who 
studies  his  specimens  learns  to  distinguish  very  easily, 


STAFFORDSHIRE    WARES,    Continued.      85 

and  a  buyer  should  always  insist  on  seeing  his  pur- 
chase before  closing  his  bargain.  A  seller  who  has 
nothing  to  conceal  will  be  willing  to  send  his  wares 
on  approbation.  If  any  decline  to  do  this  it  would 
be  just  as  well  to  have  no  further  negotiations  with 
them.  It  is  both  difficult  and  unsafe  to  attempt  to 
buy  by  photograph,  for  defects  do  not  often  show, 
and  you  are  not  able  to  handle  the  china,  which  is  so 
important  in  detecting  frauds.  Although  many  old 
specimens  come  to  hand  in  an  almost  perfect  condi- 
tion, without  any  mar  or  blemish,  or  even  knife 
scratches,  they  are  easily  told  by  the  colour  of  the 
crockery,  the  cockspur  marks,  and  the  remarkable 
lightness  of  the  pieces.  A  Richard  Jordan  eight-inch 
plate  will  weigh  just  about  one-half  of  what  a  modern 
eight-inch  stone  china  plate  will  tip  the  scales  at. 
There  are  few  dealers  who  will  imperil  their  reputations 
by  selling  this  spurious  ware.  If  you  buy  from 
people  who  have  but  a  piece  or  two  to  dispose  of  the 
risk  is  still  further  lessened,  and  it  is  generally  easy  to 
trace  the  history  of  "  farmhouse  spoils."  No  collec- 
tor would,  presumably,  pass  off  an  imitation  in  trade 
or  exchange,  and  the  open  market  seems  to  be  the 
place  where  the  most  caution  must  be  displayed. 


CHAPTER  V. 

PORTRAIT  PIECES. 

A  VERY  large  proportion  of  the  pieces  of  this  inter, 
esting  Staffordshire  has  on  it  portraits  of  patriots  and 
heroes  who  laboured,  and  in  many  cases  died,  for  the 
welfare  of  their  country.  Washington,  Franklin,  and 
that  brave  Frenchman,  Lafayette,  to  whom  we  owe  so 
much,  lead  in  the  number  and  variety  of  china  made 
in  their  honour,  and  no  collection  is  complete  without 
at  least  one  or  two  of  these  portraits. 

It  seems  peculiarly  fitting  that  Washington's  mem- 
ory should  be  perpetuated  in  this  way,  for  he  was  a 
genuine  china  enthusiast  himself,  and  was  constantly 
adding  to  his  stores  of  such  goods  by  importation 
from  England,  and  by  purchase  in  this  country.  As 
early  as  1759  ^^^  wrote  to  England  for  ornamental 
china,  "  images"  and  busts,  though  not  for  table  ware, 
and  after  the  Revolution  was  over  and  he  could  give 
his  attention  to  his  private  affairs,  he  set  about  remod- 
elling Mt.  Vernon  and  adding  to  its  household  goods. 
There  are  letters  still  extant  containing  directions  for 
goods  to  be  purchased  for  him,  dated  1785.  But  it 
was  not  till  some  years  later  that  lavish  orders  were 
sent  over.  Virginian  wealth  was  not  to  be  counted 
till  crops  were  harvested  and  got  to  market.  The 
current  price  of  tobacco  might  leave  you  with  or 
without  a  balance  to  your  credit  in  London — your 


PORTRAITPIECES.  87 

only  clearing  house,  as  it  chanced.  Your  purchases 
must  be  made  through  agents  or  factors,  and  both 
what  you  bought  and  what  you  sold  must  take  the 
hazards  of  a  sea  voyage,  was  at  the  mercy  of  sea  cap- 
tains and  the  chances  of  a  foreign  market.  At  one 
time  you  must  be  farmer  and  merchant,  and  manage 
your  own  negroes  and  overseers  as  well.  You  must 
conduct  a  correspondence  with  your  over-sea  agents, 
know  current  prices,  how  rates  of  exchange  varied, 
and  how  to  meet  these  changes  in  markets  and  mer- 
chants, while  an  ocean  rolled  between  you.  All  this 
required  an  alertness,  an  attention  to  detail,  a  sagacity 
in  farming  and  a  shrewdness  in  judging  of  your  mar- 
ket which  was  impossible  to  idle  or  inefficient  men. 

But  Washington  took  pains  to  succeed.  He  had  a 
zest  for  business.  The  practical  nature  of  his  genius 
grew  in  him  from  boy  to  man.  His  factors  in  London, 
Messrs  Gary  &  Co.,  must  have  known  his  letters  at  a 
glance  from  their  bulky  size.  No  details  escaped  him, 
and  to  keep  his  lucrative  patronage  they  must  be  as 
punctilious  as  he  was.  It  did  not  take  him  long  to 
learn  how  to  make  the  best  tobacco  in  Virginia,  and 
to  get  it  recognized  as  such.  Barrels  of  flour  marked 
"  George  Washington,  Mt.  Vernon,"  were  passed  by 
the  inspectors  without  examination.  It  is  the  face  of 
this  man  which  looks  so  gravely  out  from  so  many  of 
these  choice  portrait  plates,  and  makes  one  such 
piece  the  central  ornament  of  a  collection. 

Not  lacking  interest  are  the  curious  advertisements 
which  appeared  in  the  papers  at  this  time,  setting  forth 
the  goods  brought  home  from  Ghina,  teas,  porcelain, 
"  best  Nankin  blue  and  white  stone  china;  with  bowls, 
mugs,  guglets  and  sneakers,  basons  and  water  jugs." 


88  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

Then,  too,  at  these  public  vendues  were  sold  silks  and 
painted  gauzes,  opium  and  arrack,  rhubarb  and  gam- 
boge. Umbrellas,  or  "  umbrilloes  "  as  they  were  then 
called,  were  first  used  in  Boston  in  1768,  and  in  this 
same  sale,  1785,  are  advertised  silk  umbrellas  of  all 
sizes,  showing  that  they  had  now  come  into  general 
use. 

Of  the  pottery  and  porcelain  that  bears  the  name, 
and  what  is  supposed  to  be  the  portrait,  of  Washing- 
ton, by  far  the  largest  part  is  found  in  Liverpool  ware, 
chiefly  in  pitchers.  These  are  treated  by  themselves, 
as  the  portraits  considered  in  this  chapter  are  those  in 
the  blue  Staffordshire. 

The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art  has  a  large  col. 
lection  of  Washington  portraits  on  every  kind  of 
ceramic  ware,  from  copies  of  the  well-known  portraits 
by  Stuart,  Peale,  Trumble  and  Savage,  to  the  concep- 
tion of  the  "  father  of  his  country  "  by  the  almond- 
eyed  Celestial.  The  Staffordshire  portrait  pieces, 
many  of  which  have  come  to  light  within  the  last 
few  years  only,  are  extremely  valuable.  They  com- 
mand such  very  high  prices  that  we  hesitate  to  give 
them  here,  and  content  ourselves  with  saying  that  all 
ten-inch  plates  with  these  portraits  command  fifty 
dollars  each  and  over. 

Of  the  pitcher  shown  in  FiG.  JJ  too  much  cannot 
be  said.  Only  two  examples  of  it  are  known  so  far, 
the  one  shown  measuring  seven  inches  in  height  and 
twenty-three  inches  around  the  center.  This  pitcher 
is  unmarked.  The  other  one  is  six  inches  high  and 
has  the  mark  "  R.  Stevenson  &  Williams."  The  hand- 
some border  is  not  the  one  with  which  we  are  familiar 
on  Stevenson's  American  views,  but  a  special  one,  the 


PORTRAIT    PIECES,  89 

flowers  showing  at  the  top  of  the  pitcher,  inside  and 
out,  and  the  scrolls  at  the  base.  Plates  are  found 
having  the  portraits  of  Washington  and  Lafayette  in 
the  center  with  this  same  border,  and  also  having  the 
name  **  R.  Stevenson  &  Williams,  Cobridge,  Stafford- 
shire." Like  the  pitcher  these  plates  are  very  hand- 
some, the  printing  being  very  clear  and  well  defined 
and  the  colour  rich.  On  the  front  of  the  pitcher  are 
the  four  portraits,  Jefferson,  Washington,  Lafayette 
and  Clinton,  with  which  we  have  become  familiar  on 
the  various  medallion  plates  and  platters.  On  the 
sides  are  the  Rochester  Aqueduct,  so  popular  with 
English  potters,  and  used  in  connection  with  so  many 
different  views,  both  English  and  American.  On  the 
other  side  is  a  view  called  "  Entrance  of  the  canal  into 
the  Hudson  at  Albany,"  and  shows  a  different  view 
from  that  which  we  find  on  Wood's  plates  with  this 
scene.  It  is,  however,  quite  identical  with  the  small 
views  of  this  scene  found  on  the  acorn-bordered  pieces 
which  have  long  been  such  a  topic  of  interested  dis- 
cussion to  collectors,  now,  as  we  have  previously 
mentioned,  happily  set  at  rest  by  some  pieces  with 
this  border,  and  the  mark  "  R.  S.  &  W.,"  and  also 
"  Stevenson  "  impressedo 

In  Fig.  78,  "  St.  Paul's  Chapel,  New  York  City," 
many  of  the  collectors  agree  that  the  handsomest  one 
of  these  medallions  is  found.  It  comes  on  six-inch 
plates  and  i.3  a  wondertuUy  fine  bit  of  colour  and 
prmtm^^  The  portrait  of  Clinton  is  clear  and  good, 
the  oak  leaf  and  acorn  border  as  ever  admirable,  and 
St.  Paul's  Chapel,  one  of  the  most  interesting  bits 
of  old  New  York  left  standing.  Every  time  I  see 
this   plate    I  wonder   why  just   this   combination  of 


90  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

scenes  and  portraits  was  chosen,  for  in  most  cases  the 
central  view  was  selected  on  account  of  its  shape  or 
size  being  suited  to  the  place  it  was  necessary  to  fill, 
and  St.  Paul's  steeple  is  shorn  of  half  its  glory.  This 
church  was  built  in  1776,  far  up  Broadway,  as  it  was 
then  regarded,  overlooking  the  "  fields  or  old  cow 
pastures."  It  faced  the  river,  and  the  chancel  was 
placed  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  chapel  in  accordance 
with  the  ritual,  and  this  caused  much  grave  debate. 
Still  the  builders  persisted,  and  the  church  has  ever 
turned  its  back  on  busy,  bustling  Broadway.  St. 
Paul  stands  in  his  niche  over  the  portico,  sword  in 
hand,  and  rarely  a  passer-by  turns  to  glance  up  at  him, 
though  thousands  pass  there  every  day.  How  many 
of  these  thousands  know  that  George  Washington 
used  to  attend  services  in  this  church,  and  that  his 
pew  has  been  preserved  as  he  used  it?  Just  above  it 
on  the  walls  is  the  coat-of-arms  of  New  York.  The 
chapel  narrowly  escaped  burning  in  1776,  when  the  in- 
vading British  fired  the  city.  To  this  same  quaint  old 
church  Washington  came  on  the  day  he  was  inaugu- 
rated, and  he  sat  in  the  pew  which  you  may  see  to-day. 
In  his  diary,  for  all  the  time  he  was  in  the  city,  occurs 
this  note  for  every  Sunday,  "Went  to  St.  Paul's 
Chapel  in  the  forenoon."  Over  the  pulpit  is  an  odd 
sounding-board,  and  on  the  top  of  it  is  the  coat-of- 
arms  of  the  Prince  of  Wales.  This  board  escaped  in 
some  way  the  ardour  of  those  patriots  who,  in  Revolu- 
tionary days,  rushed  through  the  city  and  destroyed 
everything  which  in  the  least  suggested  our  allegiance 
to  England.  So  this  old  pre-Revolutionary  relic  stands 
in  its  original  place. 

This  chapel  and  its  graveyard  are  a  volume  of  our 


Fig.  79-     PORTRAIT  I'LATTEK— WINDSOR    CASTLE,     Rt*LliK.>lER    AQUEDUCT 

AT  BOTTOM.     PORTRAITS  OF  JEFFERSON,  WASHINGTON. 

LAFAYETTE,  CLINTON.    Ji.  S.  iV. 


Fig.  80.     JEFFERSON  AND  CLINTON.     BOSTON  HOSPITAL. 

R.  S.  &=  \V 


Fig.  81.     LAFAYETTE.     Clews. 


FAULKBOURN  HALL.     4  medallions. 
A.  Stevenson, 


PORTRAITPIECES.  9I 

early  history.  The  Indian  wars  seem  remote,  yet  here 
beside  the  western  wall  is  the  bust  of  John  Wells,  a 
well-known  lawyer,  who  died  in  1823.  He  was  the 
sole  survivor  of  a  large  family,  every  member  of  which, 
except  himself,  was  killed  by  the  Indians  at  the  massa- 
cre of  Cherry  Valley.  This  is  just  the  beginning  of 
the  history  which  may  be  found  in  a  six-inch  plate, 
provided  the  owner  has  an  interest  in  it  apart  from  its 
face  value. 

In  a  four-medallion  platter,  with  portraits  of  Wash- 
ington, Lafayette,  Jefferson  and  Clinton,  the  central 
view  is  Windsor  Castle,  England,  and  the  Rochester 
Aqueduct  is  depicted  at  the  bottom  (FiG.  79).  It  is 
one  of  **  R.  S.  W.'s  "  pieces,  also  with  the  acorn  bor- 
der, and  while  a  very  valuable  and  showy  piece,  has 
not  a  tithe  of  the  real  interest  bound  up  in  our  little 
six-inch  St.  Paul's.  The  view  of  Windsor  Castle  is 
fine,  the  Round  Tower  is  standing  up  above  the  sur- 
rounding buildings,  and  the  whole  scene  not  markedly 
different  from  what  it  is  to-day. 

Faulkbourne  Hall  (spelled  Faulkstone  on  the  pot- 
tery) is  another  English  view  used,  and  Harewood 
House.  On  these  English  views  our  Republican 
heroes  are  all  kept  in  countenance  by  the  Rochester 
Aqueduct  at  the  bottom.  In  our  day,  when  the  canal 
is  a  mere  water-way  for  freight,  we  do  not  realize  what 
it  meant  to  the  country  in  1825.  DeWitt  Clinton 
always  had  the  honour  of  carrying  this  project  through 
to  a  successful  conclusion,  as  indeed  he  did  ;  but  the 
name  of  the  real  conceiver  of  the  enterprise,  Christo- 
pher Colles,  is  almost  forgotten.  For  years  he  spoke 
and  gave  lectures  on  the  subject,  but  he  did  not  live 
to  see  his  ideas  carried  out,  for  he  died  in  1821.     He 


92  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

lies  buried  in  St.  Paul's  churchyard,  New  York,  and  on 
the  little  plate  of  FiG.  78  you  can  see  the  part  of  the 
yard  where  he  lies  buried,  and  below  this  picture, 
curiously  enough,  is  a  view  of  the  canal,  his  pet 
project. 

There  is  always  a  chance  for  a  discussion  on  old 
blue,  because  the  history  of  its  potters  and  potteries 
are  wrapped  in  so  much  obscurity.  After  it  had  been 
comfortably  settled  for  years  that  A.  Stevenson  sold 
his  business  to  James  Clews  in  1819,  the  discovery  of 
these  portrait  plates  with  his  stamp  on  them  has  set 
the  collector  adrift  once  more.  Of  course,  these  plates, 
made  to  celebrate  an  event  which  occurred  in  1825 
(opening  of  Erie  Canal),  must  have  been  made  after 
that  date.  Indeed,  the  great  bulk  of  this  dark  blue 
was  made  between  1820  and  1840,  and  the  English 
views  are  as  late  as  the  American.  It  is  thought  by 
some  collectors  that  Ralph  Stevenson  used  the  stamp 
"  A.  Stevenson  "  at  his  own  works,  which  were  operated 
till  1834.  From  this  date  until  1840  they  were  worked 
under  the  firm  name  of  Ralph  Stevenson  &  Sons.  But 
why  should  R.  Stevenson  have  got  possession  of  A. 
Stevenson's  stamps  and  designs  when  the  works  were 
sold  to  James  Clews,  probably  with  the  dies  and 
stamps?  To  my  mind  it  seems  more  likely  that  Clews 
used  these  properties,  for  Clews  did  not  part  with  the 
Cobridge  works  until  1829,  and  all  the  events  com- 
memorated by  these  pieces  took  place  some  years 
before  that. 

Fig.  80  presents  a  two-portrait  medallion  plate,  with 
Jefferson  and  Clinton.  The  central  view  is  Boston 
Hospital,  with  chaise  in  the  foreground,  and  the 
Rochester  Aqueduct   at   the   base.     The   plate,  like 


PORTRAITPIECES.  93 

most  of  these,  has  the  name  of  the  central  view  on  the 
back  in  dark  blue. 

For  a  single-portrait  piece  I  have  chosen  the  Lafay- 
ette plate,  with  the  bust  in  blue  on  a  white  ground, 
with  a  raised  border,  and  the  margin  in  blue.  About 
the  portrait  is  inscribed  the  words,  "  Welcome  Lafay- 
ette, the  Nation's  Guest  and  our  Country's  Glory." 
This  plate  was  made  by  Clews,  and  is  extremely  desir- 
able. Fig.  8i  gives  it.  This  particular  plate  was 
picked  up  some  years  ago  in  ordinary  fashion  for  a 
few  dollars,  but  I  know  of  another  which  fairly  dropped 
like  a  ripe  plum. 

St.  Justa  and  St.  Rufina  are,  according  to  Mrs. 
Jameson,  the  patron  saints  of  potters.  She  neglects 
to  state  what  particular  saints  watch  over  the  fortunes 
of  china  collectors.  That  some  collectors  have  such 
genii  assisting  them  I  am  very  sure,  else  other  poor 
mortals  would  have  similar  luck.  For  instance,  one  of 
these  favoured  individuals  told  me  that  within  a  few 
days  she  had  received  a  lot  of  eighteen  old-blue, 
historic  plates  from  the  "  Cumberland  Ridge."  The 
sender  had  named  his  own  price,  five  dollars.  "  He 
didn't  care  about  the  old  stuff  anyway."  The  second 
Lafayette  plate  came  to  hand  as  follows.  An  expert 
collector  had  penetrated  to  the  buttery  of  an  old- 
fashioned  farmhouse,  and  the  owner  put  before  her  a 
pile  of  four  old  plates,  saying,  "  Take  any  or  all  of 
them,  I  sha'n't  ever  use  the  old  things  agin."  A 
glance  at  the  top  plate  showed  the  collector  it  was 
worthless,  and  she  was  about  turning  away  when  some 
impulse  decided  her  to  lift  it  up.  Below  lay  the 
Lafayette  plate,  greasy  and  dusty,  but  otherwise  per- 
fect.    To  use  her  own  words,  she  "  almost  swooned," 


94  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

but  asked  as  calmly  as  possible,  "  How  much  do  you 
want  for  this  ?  "  "  Nothing  ;  take  it,  I  give  it  to  you," 
the  housewife  persisted,  but  finally  accepted  twenty- 
five  cents,  saying  to  the  departing  collector,  "You've 
given  me  just  twenty-five  cents  more  than  it  is  worth." 
The  market  price  for  this  plate  is  just  forty  dollars. 

During  Lafayette's  triumphal  tour  through  the 
United  States,  in  1824,  there  were  many  articles  worn 
by  men,  women  and  children,  that  bore  his  portrait, 
or  had  welcoming  or  laudatory  sentiments  printed  or 
worked  on  them.  I  have  seen  a  kid  glove,  yellow  with 
age,  and  of  the  single-button  variety  which  was  fash- 
ionable at  the  time,  that  was  worn  by  a  young  woman 
when  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  was  visited  by  Lafayette  in 
1824.  She  was  young  and  a  beauty,  and  the  gallant 
general  not  only  pressed  the  little  gloved  hand,  but, 
as  the  story  goes,  kissed  the  glove  with  his  image 
upon  it.  The  fair  enthusiast  tore  off  the  glove,  de- 
claring she  would  keep  it  as  long  as  she  lived,  and  so 
she  did  and  her  descendants  after  her.  The  glove  for 
the  left  hand  was  not  so  honoured  and  its  fate  is 
unknown. 

In  Fig.  82,  one  of  the  latest  discoveries  in  the  four 
portraits,  the  head  of  Lafayette  is  much  better  look- 
ing than  on  the  single  portrait  plate.  It  is  taken  from 
a  more  youthful  portrait,  and  though  his  uniform  is 
the  same  as  in  the  Clews  platter,  the  presentment  is 
more  pleasing. 

This  plate  with  the  handsome  floral  border  is  another 
piece  which  causes  the  dust  of  argument  to  fly.  It  bears 
on  the  back  the  impressed  mark  of  Stevenson,  and,  in 
blue,  an  urn  with  the  name  "  Niagara,"  the  same  view 
is  found  on  nine-inch  and  ten-inch  plates  without  the 


Fig.  82.     NIAGARA.     4  PORTRAITS.     A.  Sievefison. 


Fig.  83.     FRANKLIN 
MIRROR  KNOB. 


Fig.  84.     COMMODORI5 
O.  H;  I'ERRY. ;  :      ' 


Fig,  86,     BUTCHER\S  ARMS  PIKUHK.     REVERSE  SIDE. 


PORTRAITPIECES.  95 

medallions.  I  have  seen  two  of  these  plates  with  the 
medallions,  both  were  ten  inch,  and  in  the  one  shown 
the  medallions  are  just  about  half  the  size  of  those  on 
the  other  plate.  In  FiG.  82  it  is  possible  to  see  the 
Falls  on  the  left  of  the  picture  beyond  the  house, 
while  on  the  other  plate  the  portrait  of  Jefferson 
completely  obscures  them.  The  house  closely  resem- 
bles one  which  stands  on  the  Canadian  side  to-day, 
and  the  coloured  man  in  the  foreground,  shearing  sheep, 
is  not  at  all  un-American.  The  border  is  the  same  as 
that  used  on  a  series  of  English  views,  and  not  on  any 
other  American  view.  Yet  these  medallion  plates 
were  manufactured  among  the  last  of  the  dark  blue 
pieces,  were,  no  doubt,  expensive,  as  they  required  so 
many  printings,  and  few  were  made.  It  was  probably 
the  highest  expression  of  old  blue.  This  particular 
plate  took  the  collector  who  now  owns  it  many  a  long 
day  to  acquire.  The  woman  who  had  it  had  some 
knowledge  of  old  china,  and  had  learned  that  she  har- 
boured something  of  value.  Dollar  by  dollar  the  col- 
lector rose  in  her  bids,  always  haunted  by  the  fear 
that  the  plate  would  be  snapped  up  by  some  "hun- 
ter," and  she  only  secured  it  when  she  had  offered 
one  hundred  times  its  original  value.  When  the  news 
of  this  sale  got  abroad,  every  other  woman  in  the 
town  where  the  Niagara  plate  was  found  hunted  up 
her  "  old  blue  delft,"  as  it  is  so  often  called,  and  hur- 
ried with  it  to  our  collector,  eager  to  get  a  sum  which 
would  exceed  the  profits  on  butter  money  for  a  whole 
year. 

While  Franklin  was  not  included  in  any  of  these 
medallion  portraits  he  had  more  ceramic  honours  than 
even  Washington  himself.     No  doubt    his  long   resi- 


96  THE   OLD   CHINA   BOOK. 

dence  abroad  was  one  reason  for  this,  because  very  large 
numbers  of  these  portraits  were  made  by  both  Eng- 
lish  and  French  potters.  The  Metropolitan  Museum 
of  Art,  New  York,  and  the  Trumble-Prime  collection 
at  Princeton,  New  Jersey,  have  many  of  these  exam- 
ples. They  were  made  not  only  in  crockery,  but  clay 
medallions  were  struck  of  various  sizes,  some  even 
small  enough  to  be  set  in  rings,  and  others  of  the 
right  size  to  be  set  in  patch-boxes  and  snufl-boxes- 
Many  of  these  had  the  fur  cap  with  which  we  are 
familiar  from  engravings.  Even  Wedgwood  tried  his 
hand  on  these  rugged  features  and  made  medallion 
portraits  in  basaltes  as  well  as  jasper.  There  were 
many  statuettes,  ranging  from  seven  to  thirteen  inches 
in  height,  and  varied  busts,  some  even  in  Dresden 
china.  Punch  bowls  and  pitchers  are  also  found,  and 
the  following  inscription  is  taken  from  a  bowl  with  the 
fur-cap  portrait:  "  Benjn  Franklin,  Esq,  LL.D.  and 
F.R.S.  the  brave  defender  of  the  country  against  the 
oppression  of  taxation  without  representation — author 
of  the  greatest  discovery  in  natural  philosophy  since 
those  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  viz.,  that  lightning  is  the 
same  with  electric  fire." 

The  portrait  of  Franklin  shown  in  FiG.  83  is  on  one 
of  those  choice  and  rare  ceramic  treasures,  a  mirror- 
knob.  These  are  examples,  in  most  cases,  of  transfer 
printing ;  some  are  merely  in  outline  ;  and  some  have 
the  outline,  filled  in  with  tint.  They  came  into  use 
before  Revolutionary  days — "  looking-glass  nobs  "  they 
called  them  then — and  were  often  in  rosette  shape, 
mounted  on  the  end  of  a  spike,  and  screwed  into  the 
wall  about  two  feet  apart,  leaving  the  knobs  standing 
out  from  the  wall  about  two  inches.     On  these  screws 


PORTRAIT    PIECES.  97 

the  lower  edge  of  mirror  or  picture  rested.  The  opal 
glass  ones  were  also  used  to  fasten  back  window  cur- 
tains upon  them,  and  a  variety  of  them  was  used  as 
knobs  to  bureau  drawers.  The  one  that  is  shown  here 
is  a  delicate  piece  of  printing  mounted  in  a  brass  frame 
and  on  a  long  brass  screw.  In  the  same  set  are  por- 
traits of  Washington,  Franklin,  Perry  and  Lafayette. 

None  of  the  portraits  presents  Franklin  in  any  other 
aspect  than  that  of  old  age.  The  rather  short,  stout 
figure,  and  the  heavy  features  are  those  selected  for  re- 
production. Curiously  enough  Franklin  seems  some- 
what proud  of  the  number  and  variety  of  portraits 
made  of  him.  Rewrites  from  France  to  his  daughter, 
Mrs  Bache,  in  1779,  as  follows:  "A  variety  of  others 
(clay  medallions)  have  been  made  since  of  various 
sizes,  and  the  number  sold  are  incredible.  These 
with  the  pictures  and  prints,  upon  which  copies  and 
copies  are  spread  everywhere,  have  made  your  father's 
face  as  well  known  as  that  of  the  moon,  so  that  he 
durst  not  do  anything  that  would  oblige  him  to  run 
away  as  his  phiz  would  discover  him  wherever  he 
should  venture  to  show  it.  It  is  said  by  learned 
etymologists  that  the  name  of  doll,  for  the  image 
children  play  with,  is  derived  from  the  word  idol. 
From  the  number  of  dolls  now  made  of  him  he  may 
be  truly  said,  in  that  sense^  to  be  idolized  in  that 
country." 

In  one  collector's  house  a  pair  of  these  knobs,  bear- 
ing  the  head  of  Lafayette,  have  been  screwed  into  the 
wall,  and  on  them  rests  a  letter  from  him,  written  in 
a  quaint  copperplate  hand  and  signed  with  a  flourish, 
and  one  of  the  delicately  tinted,  old  engraved  portraits, 
framed  together.     In  addition  to  all  the  portraits  of 


98  THE    OLD    CHINA    BOOK. 

those  whom  we  may  call  our  great  heroes,  there  are 
many  pieces  devoted  to  the  rank  and  file  of  minor 
heroes,  who  did  good  and  often  great  service  for  their 
country.  Such  a  portrait  is  shown  in  FiG.  84.  It  is 
also  on  a  mirror-knob  and  is  of  Commodore  O.  H. 
Perry,  who  was  sometimes  called  "  Hero  of  the  Lake." 
He  had  numerous  plates  and  pitchers  struck  off  in 
his  honour,  with  not  only  busts  but  full-length  por- 
traits, and  with  mottoes  in  addition,  such  as,  "  We 
have  met  the  enemy,  and  they  are  ours."  Jackson 
and  Bainbridge,  with  "  Avast  boys,  she's  struck," 
and  Pike,  with  "  Be  always  ready  to  die  for  your 
country,"  were  also  honoured  in  this  way.  All  of 
these  pieces,  while  of  secondary  interest  and  value,  are 
good  to  have  and  add  to  the  historic  value  of  any  collec- 
tion, if  not  to  its  beauty.  The  list  of  these  portraits  on 
Staffordshire  is  constantly  being  added  to,  as  these 
pieces  are  drawn  from  cupboards  and  closets  and  from 
beneath  the   attic  eaves. 

Of  all  these  old  English  wares  the  printed  blue 
Staffordshire  is  the  most  absorbing  to  an  American. 
One  cannot  fail  to  get  interested  in  the  scenes  it  rep- 
resents, even  more  than  in  the  composition  of  the 
paste  and  the  amount  of  feldspar,  borax,  flint  or  bone 
which  enters  into  it.  Still  it  is  necessary  to  learn 
enough  about  the  qualities  and  peculiarities  of  wares 
to  be  able  to  stand  alone  and  not  take  the  judgment 
of  dealers.  In  many  cases  unmarked  wares  so  closely 
resemble  each  other  that  even  expert  collectors 
classify  them  in  a  half  a  dozen  different  ways,  and 
you  have  to  make  up  your  own  mind  by  study,  com- 
parison, and  handling.  Staffordshire  ware  had  a  coarse 
body,  and  the  stone  ware  was  but  little  better,  and  all 


PORTRAIT   PIECES.  99 

the  early  efforts  of  the  Staffordshire  potters  were  put 
forth  to  improve  this  table  ware,  and  the  deep  rich 
blue  assisted  to  cover  imperfections. 

The  interest  which  led  to  the  collecting  of  old  blue 
stimulates  further  study,  and  with  the  china  hunter 
every  piece  gathered  leads  farther  along  those  flowery 
fields  ridden  over  by  every  happy  possessor  of  a 
hobby. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

LIVERPOOL  AND  OTHER  PRINTED  WARES. 

Liverpool,  city  of  docks  and  smoke,  and  the 
largest  sea-port  in  the  world,  has  had  time  to  give 
to  arts  and  crafts  and  the  skilled  workmen  to  in- 
vent printing  on  china  and  to  carry  on  the  peace- 
ful art  of  potting.  Some  factories  existed  as  early  as 
1600,  and  among  the  first  wares  made  was  what  was 
known  as  Liverpool  delft.  This  was  an  imitation  of 
the  Dutch  ware,  had  a  coarse  body  and  was  smeared 
on  the  face  with  a  fine  white  clay,  on  which  the  design 
was  drawn  in  blue.  The  collector  in  this  country  has 
small  interest  in  this  ware,  as  it  is  seldom  found  here 
except  in  tiles,  which  are  occasionally  taken  from  old 
houses.  They  are  very  crude  in  drawing,  and  have, 
usually,  scriptural  designs  with  chapter  and  verse 
placed  below  to  help  out  the  picture.  I  have  seen  a 
set  which  was  taken  from  an  old  house  at  Sag  Har- 
bour, Long  Island,  and  so  ruthlessly  treated  that,  of 
the  twenty  or  thirty  which  framed  the  fireplace,  I  was 
able  to  rescue  but  two  perfect  ones. 

The  most  interesting  names  connected  with  the 
Liverpool  potteries  are  those  of  Sadler  and  Green,  for 
to  John  Sadler,  an  engraver,  the  world  is  indebted 
for  the  invention  of  transfer-printing  on  pottery  and 
porcelain  and  the  subsequent  cheapening  of  produc- 
tion. This  discovery  was  due  to  an  accident,  as  early 
as  1752,  and  for  many  years  Sadler  and  his  partner, 


LIVERPOOL    PRINTED    WARES.        lo. 

Guy  Green,  were  able  to  keep  the  process  a  secret. 
Tlie  art  of  transfer-printing  was  first  applied  to  tiles, 
but  the  process  was  soon  found  to  be  applicable  to 
table  ware  and  other  goods.  Sadler  and  Green  labour- 
ed hard  to  perfect  their  work,  and  their  black  prints  on 
a  cream-coloured  body  have  an  unusually  fine  style  of 
workmanship.  In  fact  it  was  so  superior  to  what 
other  potters  were  able  to  do  that  Wedgwood  him- 
self was  one  of  their  customers  and  sent  his  goods  by 
carrier  and  cart,  or  even  in  panniers  on  pack-horses 
while  it  was  still  in  the  biscuit  state,  and,  after  print- 
ing, had  it  returned  by  the  same  precarious  method 
and  fired  in  the  home  kilns. 

The  work  was  very  cheaply  done,  the  charge  for 
printing  a  table  and  tea-service  for  the  actoi,  Dav'd 
Garrick,  in  1783,  was  ;^8  6s  Jd,  about  $41.50.  This 
was  done  on  order  from  Wedgwood,  and  it  would  be 
interesting  to  know  how  much  he  charged  Garrick  for 
the  set  completed. 

"  Landskips  "  were  always  in  demand,  sometimes  as 
many  as  thirty  views  going  on  a  single  service.  The 
usual  rule  was  a  fresh  design  for  every  dozen  plates  of 
a  dinner  service,  and  distinct  ones  for  each  dish, 
tureen  and  center  piece.  Wedgwood  furnished  his 
own  patterns,  and  his  patrons  and  friends  supplied 
him  with  charming  prints,  coloured  and  otherwise,  of 
flowers,  shells,  fruit,  birds,  butterflies  and  country 
scenes. 

At  the  close  of  August,  1768,  Sadler,  it  appears,  had 
dropped  printing  in  all  other  colours  than  black  and 
red.  In  May,  1770,  Wedgwood  wrote  to  Bently  con- 
cerning Sadler's  printing:  "  I  have  had  a  good  deal  of 
talk  with  Mr.  Sadler  and  find  him  willing  to  do  any- 


I02  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

thing  to  improve  his  patterns.  He  has  just  completed 
a  set  of  landskips  for  the  inside  of  dishes,  etc.,  with 
childish  scrawling  sprigs  of  flowers  for  the  rims,  all  of 
which  he  thinks  very  clever,  but  they  will  not  do  for 
us.  He  is  trying  the  purple  and  thinks  he  will  manage 
it,  and  is  willing  to  have  a  sett  of  the  red  chalk  stile, 
or  mezotint  flowers,  but  thinks  they  can  do  them  at 
Liverpool  best.  I  am  afraid  of  trusting  too  much  to 
their  taste,  but  they  have  promised  to  off-trace  and 
coppy  any  prints  I  shall  send  them.  I  have  promised 
to  send  him  the  red  chalk  plates  and  a  few  prints  of 
flowers  immediately,  and  beg  you  will  send  him  the 
plates,  and  pick  out  some  prints  of  different  size 
flowers  to  send' along  with  them  to  Liverpool." 
'  About  1772,  John  Sadler  retired  from  business,  and 
Guy  Green,  who  was  a  much  younger  man,  became 
head  of  the  firm.  From  this  time  on  improvement 
became  manifest,  the  patterns  were  better  and  more 
colours  were  used  ;  so  that,  by  the  end  of  1776,  many 
of  the  patterns  hitherto  enameled  were  printed  in 
outline  and  then  filled  in  by  hand.  Young  girls  did 
this  latter  work,  and  one  of  the  favourite  patterns  was 
shells  and  sea-weeds.  After  a  little  more  time  crests 
and  coats  of  arms  were  attempted  and  were  inost 
successful,  and  this  was  a  great  saving  of  expense  to 
Wedgwood,  who  had  long  complained  at  the  great 
cost  of  enamelling  these.  Even  after  Wedgwood 
began  to  print  his  own  wares — and  it  is  curious  how 
long  it  was  before  he  did  this  (1784) — Green  still 
printed  many  of  the  old  patterns,  such  as  the  green 
shell,  green  flower  and  red  landscape.  After  1787  the 
very  finest  borders  were  made  by  printing ;  even 
tendrils  and  tiny  leaves  and  all  such  parts  as  were  out- 


LIVERPOOL    PRINTED    WARES.         103 

lined  were  filled  in  either  in  Liverpool  or  Etruria,  as 
the  case  might  be. 

Dinner  and  dessert  services,  which  had  come  into 
fashion  as  early  as  1769,  increased  in  favour  still  more, 
and  in  one  cargo  sent  to  Amsterdam  were  fifty 
"  splendid  dinner  and  dessert  services  chiefly  pierced 
and  gilt." 

For  the  benefit  of  collectors  we  give  the  following 
list  of  borders  popular  in  1774,  printed  by  Green,  by 
Wedgwood's  order.  Some  were  printed  only  ;  others 
combined  the  two  processes  of  printing  and  painting; 
and  some  were  exquisitely  enamelled  : 

Printed  bird  pattern,  feather     Marine  pattern,  purple  edge. 

edge.  Calico  pattern  and  spriggs. 

Oat  border.  Laurel  border. 

Arrow  pattern.  Green  feather-edge  and  flower. 

Green  flowers.  Super  purple  flowers. 

Green  husks.  Green  oat-leaf  border. 

Strawberry  leaf.  Brown  antique  border. 

Black  flowers.  Black  antique  border. 

Blue  shell-edge.  Shaded  figures,  purple  grounds. 

Green  shell-edge.  Queen's  pencilled. 

Ivy  border  with  spriggs.  Calico  pattern. 

Purple  arrow  heads.  Parsley  leaf. 

Purple  antique.  Grape  leaf. 

By  1787  Wedgwood  was  doing  a  part  of  his  own 
printing,  and  the  list  of  patterns  popular  then  are 
given  among  Wedgwood's  own  wares. 

The  printed  pieces  made  for  Wedgwood  and  marked 
with  his  name,  with  pieces  made  by  and  marked  Sadler 
and  Green,  are  now  so  rare  as  practically  to  be  con- 
fined to  museum  specimens.  Sadler  and  Green's 
marked  tiles  are  sometimes  found  in  England  and  are 


I04  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

remarkable  for  the  beauty  and  clearness  of  the 
printing. 

Richard  Chaffers  was  another  Liverpool  potter  who 
went  to  work  as  early  as  1752  and  did  much  to  im- 
prove the  character  of  his  ware.  He  is  credited  with 
sending  wares  to  America ;  but  I  have  never  seen  a 
marked  piece,  apd  the  pepper-pots,  which  are  supposed 
to  be  thick  as  blackberries  among  us,  seem  to  have 
lived  only  in  the  mind  of  an  enthusiastic  china  collec- 
tor. Chaffers  made  not  only  earthenware  but  hard 
paste  porcelain  as  well.  His  punch-bowls  had  a  great 
reputation  and  were  large  affairs,  often  twenty  and  one 
half  inches  in  diameter  and  nine  inches  high.  Among 
other  small  pieces  made  as  early  as  this  were  labels 
for  different  liquors,  lettered  "  Cyder"  and  "  Brandy" 
or  "  Rum,"  as  well  as  "  Peppermint  "  and  "  Worm- 
wood." They  do  not  often  turn  up  ;  they  are  made 
of  the  coarse  clay  body,  faced  with  finer  clay  and 
glazed,  exactly  like  the  tiles.  They  have  a  hole  in 
the  upper  portion  through  which  a  string  may  be 
passed  to  tie  the  label  about  the  bottle's  neck.  Chaf- 
fers died  about  1770. 

What  grew  to  be  the  largest  and  most  successful 
pottery  at  Liverpool  was  founded  in  the  year  1790  by 
Richard  Abbey.  He  had  been  employed  by  John 
Sadler,  had  learned  his  secrets,  and  produced  many  ef- 
fective groups  for  mugs,  jugs  and  bowls,  the  most 
usual  utensils  found  in  the  cream-coloured  Liverpool 
ware.  Tea-sets  there  are  and  an  occasional  plate,  but 
the  former  pieces  are  the  most  common. 

It  was  while  in  the  employ  of  Sadler  that  Abbey 
made  his  most  famous  productions,  the  various  "  Arms  " 
jugs.     The  designs  of  these  arms  are  both  pretty  and 


LIVERPOOL    PRINTED   WARES.        105 

witty.  Jewitt  describes  the  Farmer's  Arms  at  some 
length  and  says  there  is  a  teapot  with  this  design  in 
the  Museum  of  Practical  Geology  in  London.  On  the 
reverse  side  are  the  verses  which  speak  of  the  joys  of 
a  farmer's  life  : 


"  May  the  mighty  and  great 
Roll  in  splendour  and  state  ; 
I  envy  them  not,  I  declare  it ; 
I  eat  my  own  lamb 
My  chicken  and  ham 
I  shear  my  own  sheep  and  I  wear  it. 
I  have  lawns,  I  have  bowers, 
I  have  fruits,  I  have  flowers. 
The  lark  is  my  morning  alarmer  ; 
So  you  jolly  dogs  now 
Here's  to  '  God  bless  the  Plow  ' 
Long  Life  and  Content  to  the  Farmer." 

In  addition  to  the  Farmer's  Arms,  which  is  the  only 
one  mentioned  by  Jewitt,  there  is  the  Blacksmith's 
Arms,  with  the  motto, "  By  Hammer  and  Hand  all 
Arts  do  stand,"  and  the  Buck's  Arms  with  stags  and 
hunting  emblems  and  the  motto,  "  Freedom  with  In- 
nocence"; the  Baker's  Arms,  which  has  for  motto 
"  Praise  God  for  all,"  and  the  Hatter's  Arms  with  the 
legend,  "  We  assist  Each  other  in  Time  of  Need." 
The  only  one  I  have  seen  in  this  country  is  given  in 
Fig.  85.  It  is  the  Butcher's  Arms  and  is  a  very  hand- 
some jug,  clearly  and  beautifully  printed  and  with  a 
pretty  English  scene  on  the  reverse  side.  The  initials 
*'  W.  W."  are  under  the  lip,  and  it  was  sold  by  the  grand- 
son  of  the  man  for  whom  it  was  made  in  England.  I 
have  heard  of,  but  never  seen,  another,  the"  Ironwork. 


io6  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

er's  Arms,"  which  bears  the  motto,  "  Benevolence  and 
Union  go  hand  in  hand." 

These  "  arms  "  jugs  were  made  for  the  members  of 
the  various  guilds,  which  have  always  played  a  more 
or  less  important  part  in  London's  history,  their  great- 
est strength  dating  from  the  time  of  Edward  III,  when 
enactments  were  passed  which  made  membership  in  a 
guild  necessary  to  the  privilege  of  freedom  of  the  city. 
At  one  time  the  guilds  numbered  over  one  hundred. 
At  present  there  are  but  seventy-six,  and  some  of 
these  which  are  left  represent  trades  which  are  extinct, 
a  delightful  instance  of  England's  conservatism.  The 
twelve  so  called  "Great  Guildri"  claim  precedence 
over  the  others,  and  though  the  Fishmongers'  and 
Grocers',  as  well  as  the  Salters'  and  Vintners'  are 
among  the  twelve,  the  Butchers'  is  found  in  the  less 
privileged  classes. 

Nobody  seems  to  have  made  these  jugs  but  this 
Richard  Abbey  while  with  Sadler  and  Green,  so  they 
were  all  made  prior  to  1 790,  when  he  went  into  busi- 
ness for  himself,  taking  as  a  partner  a  man  named  Gra- 
ham. In  1796  Worthington,  Humble  and  Holland 
bought  the  pottery  from  Abbey  and  Graham,  and 
called  it  the  Herculaneum  Pottery.  The  works  were 
kept  up,  under  one  firm  and  another,  until  1841,  when 
they  were  dismantled  and  the  site  used  for  the  Hercu- 
laneum Dock.  Richard  Abbey  died  in  1801  while 
leading  the  singing  in  a  church  choir.  He  was  eighty- 
one  years  of  age  at  the  time. 

The  period  between  1796  and  1800  at  the  Herculan- 
eum Pottery  does  not  seem  to  have  been  distinguished 
by  any  particular  marks,  but  after  that  time,  that  is 
from  1800  to   1 841,  there  are  three  periods  easily  dis- 


LIVERPOOL    PRINTED    WARES.        107 

tinguishable  by  the  different  marks.  From  1800  to 
1822  the  word  Herculaneum  was  printed  in  a  half 
circle  around  a  crown,  or  printed  on  a  strap  which  en- 
tirely surrounded  a  crown.  The  second  period,  from 
1822  to  1833,  had  the  words  "  Herculaneum  Pottery  "  in 
a  straight  line,  and  the  third  period  had  the  figure  of 
a  bird,  the  liver  or  lever,  which  was  the  crest  of  the 
Arms  of  Liverpool.  Some  pieces  found  over  here, 
and  apparently  made  for  the  American  market,  have, 
in  addition,  an  eagle.  An  example  of  the  porcelain  is 
shown  in  another  chapter. 

In  Fig.  87  is  shown  a  part  of  a  tea-set,  which  we 
will  place  under  the  general  head  of  Liverpool.  The 
ware  is  beautifully  creamy,  the  printing  fine  and  clear 
and  the  twisted  edge  prettily  gilded.  The  oblong 
plate  shows  its  irregularity  even  in  the  photograph, 
but  the  cup  has  a  handle  which  the  earliest  ones  were 
without. 

Nearly  all  the  great  potteries  which  we  have  already 
considered  made  printed  ware  of  varying  degrees  of 
beauty  and  clearness;  but  it  was  generally  unmarked, 
and,  after  this  lapse  of  time,  has  all  come  to  be  classed 
under  the  generic  head  of  Liverpool.  The  most  inter- 
esting pieces  of  this  ware  are  found  in  pitchers,  cream 
coloured  and  black,  printed,  and  capable  of  holding  a 
gallon  each.  Such  a  one  is  shown  in  FiG.  88  and,  as  is 
the  case  with  so  many  of  these  Liverpool  jugs,  is  in  hon- 
our of  Washington.  This  particular  one  is  called  the 
"  Apotheosis"  jug,  as  you  may  see  on  its  face.  There 
is  a  tomb  in  the  oval  picture  with  Liberty  and  an  In- 
dian (strange  companions  in  view  of  later  day  devel- 
opments), seated  side  by  side.  Father  Time  is  raising 
Washington,    clothed    in    a   shroud,  from    the    tomb, 


io8  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

while  an  angel  holds  Washington's  hand  and  points 
upward.  On  the  tomb  is  the  inscription,  "Sacred  to 
the  memory  of  Washington  ob.  17  Dec.  A.  D.  1799 
Ae.  68."  A  semicircle  of  cherubs'  heads  forms  a 
border  to  the  medallion,  and  in  the  midst  are  various 
insignia  which  belonged  to  Washington.  This  pitcher 
bears  under  its  lip  the  name  of  the  man  for  whom  it 
was  made ;  but  many  copies  of  it,  instead  of  the  name, 
have  a  motto,  something  like  this,  "A  man  without 
example,  a  patriot  without  reproach."  On  the  reverse 
side  is  a  ship  in  full  sail.  This  pitcher  is  ten  inches 
high  and  was  bought  within  the  year  for  the  unusually 
small  sum  of  $12.50. 

In  Fig.  89  is  shown  another  of  these  Washington 
jugs,  which,  on  account  of  its  rarity,  brought  $56, 
though  it  is  but  eight  inches  high.  The  side  shown 
in  the  picture  is  a  medallion  of  Washington  with  the 
figure  of  Liberty  seated  beside  it.  An  eagle,  with 
branch  and  bolts,  fills  the  upper  part  of  the  oval,  which 
is  surrounded  by  a  chain  of  fifteen  links,  each  link 
bearing  the  name  of  a  state,  and  in  the  center  of  it  a 
star.  Below  the  portrait  is  an  inscription  which  reads 
"  Washington  crowned  with  laurels  by  Liberty." 

The  reverse  side  of  this  pitcher  is  quite  as  interest- 
ing. It  shows  Washington  and  Franklin  inspecting  a 
map  of  the  United  States,  which  is  almost  as  much 
of  a  curiosity  as  the  famous  old  "  Mappa  Mundi." 
Liberty  has  Washington  in  charge  while  History  takes 
care  of  Franklin,  and  in  the  upper  part  of  the  picture 
a  very  frisky  Fame  blows  a  trumpet.  Louisiana  goes 
under  the  name  of  the  Country  of  Mines  and  extends 
as  far  north  as  Lake  Superior.  This  pitcher,  while 
classed  as  Liverpool,  is  really  Staffordshire,   as  it  is 


Fig.  87.     BLACK-l'RIXTED  LIVERPOOL  WARE. 


Fig.  SS.     APOTHEOSIS  JUG. 


\vash5nO''>\x  map  jug. 


Fig.  go.    WASHINGTON  JUG.  Fig.  91.     MONUMENT  JUG. 


Fig.  92.     V.'ASHLSjGTON  JUG.  Fig.  93.    MASONIC  JUG. 


LIVERPOOL    PRINTED    WARES.        109 

marked  "  F.  Morris,  Shelton."  I  have  seen  one  with 
these  designs  on  it  marked  1796  on  the  front,  showing 
that  they  were  made  before  the  death  of  Washington. 
While  Fig.  89  is  unusually  small  for  this  style  of 
pitcher,  the  common  size  runs  from  ten  to  twelve 
inches,  making  a  pitcher  capable  of  holding  several 
quarts.  No  such  innocent  beverage  as  milk  or  water 
filled  those  generous  jugs ;  but  cider,  which  almost 
might  be  called  the  national  drink,  and  some  of  the 
varieties  of  spiced  decoctions  then  so  popular  were 
liquids  which  poured  from  these  fine  large  lips. 

It  is  quite  remarkable  to  run  back  and  see  how  early 
apple  orchards  were  planted  and  began  to  bear  freely. 
New  England  led  off  in  the  quantity  of  cider  made, 
and  in  the  potency  and  manufacture  of  rum,  which 
was  known  throughout  the  colonies  as  "  Killdevil." 
As  early  as  172 1  one  Massachusetts  village,  boasting 
but  forty  families,  made  from  its  own  apples  three 
thousand  barrels  of  cider.  At  Oyster  Bay,  one  of  the 
oldest  settlements  on  Long  Island,  in  1726,  Henry 
Townson  leaves  by  will  to  his  father,  "  one  hundred 
bushels  of  good,  sound  apples  out  of  my  orchard 
yearly,  and  also  a  load  of  hay  during  his  life."  By 
1740  so  many  orchards  had  matured  that  cider  was  the 
common  drink  among  the  people.  At  three  shillings 
the  barrel  even  the  poorest  need  hardly  be  without  their 
winter  supply,  and  so  general  was  its  use  that  members 
of  the  clergy  often  stored  forty  barrels  or  more  for  win- 
ter use.  In  summer,  diluted  with  water,  sweetened, 
and  spiced  with  nutmeg,  it  made  a  refreshing  drink, 
when  it  had  been  cooled  in  a  spring  or  cellar. 

Fig.  90  is  a  twelve-inch  Washington  jug  with  a  more 
than  usually  swelling  shape.     There  is  a  small  portrait 


no  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

on  the  pedestal,  and  the  words  "  First  in  War,  First  in 
Peace,  First  in  Fame  and  First  in  Victory."  A  naval 
officer  and  Fame  stand  on  either  side  of  the  shaft,  and 
the  picture  is  surrounded  with  scallops  showing  the 
names  of  thirteen  states.  Notwithstanding  the  pedes- 
tal or  obelisk,  I  should  place  this  jug  as  made  prior  to 
1800,  from  the  use  of  but  thirteen  states  in  the  border. 
On  the  reverse  side  is  a  full-rigged  ship  with  the 
American  flag  in  colours,  and  on  the  front  in  a  wreath 
the  inscription  "A  present  to  Capt.  Nath'l  Gunnison." 
It  is  in  perfect  condition  and  sold  for  sixty  dollars. 
Ten  years  ago  fifteen  dollars  was  thouglit  a  good 
price  to  pay  for  such  a  pitcher.  Recently  I  saw  four 
of  these  Liverpool  pitchers  with  Washington  designs 
on  them,  and  varying  in  size  from  nine  to  twelve 
inches,  which  were  bought  in  a  lot  two  or  three  years 
ago  at  seven  dollars  each.  They  have  been  sold  with- 
in the  last  few  months  at  forty  dollars  apiece.  In  the 
Rooms  of  the  Antiquarian  Society  at  Concord,  Mass., 
there  are  several  of  these  jugs,  of  large  size  and  in 
good  condition.  FiG.  91  shows  one  such  with  unusual 
lustre  decoration  about  the  top.  It  is  ten  inches  high, 
and  is  generally  known  as  the  "  Monument  Pitcher." 
It  comes  in  twelve-inch  pitchers  also.  On  the  top  of 
the  picture  is  the  legend,  "  Washington  in  Glory,"  and 
below  it  on  a  band,  "  America  in  tears."  An  eagle 
and  a  female  figure,  both  very  drooping,  are  on  either 
side  of  the  monument,  and  on  the  reverse  side  are 
Liberty  and  two  negro  boys  with  portraits. 

The  EngHsh  potters  amused  themselves,  or,  perhaps, 
suited  the  tastes  of  their  patrons  by  varying  the  pat- 
terns on  different  pitchers.  I  have  seen  this  monument 
pitcher  with  the  map  of  America,  previously  spoken 


LIVERPOOL    PRINTED    WARES.        in 

of,  on  the  reverse  side,  and  also  with  a  full-rigged  ship. 
Sometimes  these  pitchers  are  known  as  Masonic  pitch, 
ers,  and  every  Mason  liked  to  own  one  with  the  pic- 
ture of  the  greatest  Mason  of  all  on  it.  If  the  purchaser 
was  a  seafaring  man,  of  course  he  chose  a  ship  for  the 
second  side,  to  take  home  to  an  appreciative  family. 
These  pitchers  were  turned  by  hand,  as  may  be  seen 
by  the  slight  variations  in  shape  and  by  the  wavy 
lines  in  the  bottom.  Another  stout  one  is  figured  in 
Fig.  92. 

A  fairly  good  portrait  of  Washington  within  a  laurel 
wreath  occupies  the  center  of  the  medallion,  with  Jus- 
tice and  Liberty  at  right  and  left  and  Cupid  above  hold- 
ing a  glory  of  stars.  A  very  singular  combination  truly. 
The  oval  is  surrounded  by  an  entwined  scalloped  bor- 
der with  the  names  of  fifteen  states  and  fifteen  stars, 
making  a  more  decorative  picture  than  is  usual  with  this 
class  of  pitchers.  This  design  I  have  seen  on  two  sizes  of 
pitchers  only,  nine  inches  and  seven  and  one  half  inches, 
and  it  is  extremely  rare.  On  the  other  side  is  a  four- 
line  verse,  with  liberty  cap  and  other  emblems.  On 
two  seven  and  a  half-inch  pitchers,  which  have  passed 
under  my  notice,  were,  on  the  reverse  side,  two  differ- 
ent designs.  On  the  first  were  Peace,  Plenty  and  Inde- 
pendence in  an  oval,  surmounted  by  cannon,  American 
flags  and  a  screaming  eagle.  On  the  second  one  was 
this  inscription,  "  By  virtue  and  valour  we  have  freed 
our  country,  extended  our  commerce  and  laid  the 
foundation  of  a  great  empire."  Washington  stands 
with  one  foot  on  the  neck  of  the  British  lion,  and  there 
are  grouped  about  four  soldiers  and  a  ship  in  full  sail, 
with  flags,  cannon,  etc.,  and  below  "  Success  to  Amer- 
ica."    It  seems  almost  incredible  that  these  sentiments 


112  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

and  devices  were  made  by  Englishmen  for  the  very 
country  which  had  asserted  its  independence. 

Fig.  93  shows  a  Masonic  jug  which  was  long  in  the 
possession  of  Mr.  John  Haigh  of  Somerville,  Mass.,  a 
Mason  of  the  thirty-third  degree.  It  has  many  Ma- 
sonic devices,  as  may  be  seen,  and  in  front  has  square 
and  compass  with  "  G"  in  a  triangle.  It  also  has  the 
inscription  "  Samuel  Fowler,  Salisbury,  1795,"  which, 
of  course,  adds  to  its  value.  It  is  in  perfect  condition, 
nine  inches  high,  and  worth  between  twenty-five  and 
thirty  dollars. 

The  verses  on  these  jugs  are  generally  doggerel  of 
the  worst  order.  A  very  common  verse  ran  as  fol- 
lows: 

"  The  world  is  in  pain 
Our  secret  to  gain, 

But  still  let  them  wonder  and  gaze  on. 
For  they  ne'er  can  divine 
The  word  nor  the  sign 
Of  a  free  and  accepted  Mason." 

Even  rarer  than  the  Masonic  pitchers  are  a  few  that 
one  occasionally  runs  across,  like  that  shown  in  FiG. 
94.  It  is  the  death  of  General  Wolfe.  On  the  reverse 
is  a  picture  of  a  naval  battle.  This  pitcher  is  always 
beautifully  printed  and  seems  to  come  in  but  one  size, 
ten  and  one  half  inches.  The  pitcher  made  in  com. 
memoration  of  Commodore  Preble  is  given  in  FiG.  95, 
His  portrait  is  in  the  oval,  and  above  is  a  figure  oi 
Fame  with  wreath  and  trumpet.  An  Indian  maiden 
with  a  scroll  and  a  flag  and  shield  fills  the  base  of 
the  picture.  On  the  reverse  side  is  shown  the  Com. 
modore's  squadron  attacking  the  City  of  Tripoli, 
August  3,  1804.     This  pitcher  is  but  nine  inches  high, 


Fig. 


DEATH  OF  WOLFE.  Fig.  q?.     COMMODORE  PREBLE. 


Fig.  96.     SUNDERLAND  JUGS. 


Fig.  97.     PRINTED  TEA-SKT. 


'Fig.  98;.   BO\V  PICKLE-LEAF  AND  CREAMER. 
:  „  ;      •• '.  '  Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts. 


LIVERPOOL   PRINTED   WARES.       113 

while  the    pitcher  made  to  celebrate  Perry's  victory 
comes  as  small  as  seven  and  one  half  inches. 

The  Herculaneum  Pottery  contributed  pitchers 
depicting  the  death  of  Montgomery  and  the  death  of 
Warren.  There  is  also  one  with  a  print  called  "  The 
gallant  defence  of  Stonington,  August  9,  18 14,"  show- 
ing the  famous  scene  when,  with  one  gun,  the  inhabi- 
tants successfully  resisted  an  attack  of  the  British  and 
drove  off  her  ships,  sinking  one.  Under  this  picture 
is  the  legend  "  Stonington  is  free  whilst  her  heroes 
have  one  gun  left."  On  the  reverse  side  are  a  ship 
and  a  ribbon  wreath  enclosing  some  patriotic  verses. 

More  generally  interesting  than  the  Masonic  jugs 
were  the  sailor  pitchers.  I  have  seen  numbers  of 
them  in  the  interior  towns  as  well  as  on  the  sea-coast. 
They  are  generally  classed  as  Liverpool  ware,  though 
I  believe  most  of  them  were  made  elsewhere.  For 
instance  J.  Phillips  at  North  Hylton  made  many  of 
these  printed  sailor  jugs,  of  the  same  creamy  ware, 
and  similar  in  shape.  His  pieces  also  are  seldom 
marked,  but  he  has  certain  verses  which  are  almost  as 
distinctive  as  the  Staffordshire  borders.  They  occur 
over  and  over  again,  and  when  you  find  a  pitcher  with 
the  following  verse  on  it  you  may  set  it  down  to 
North  Hylton; 

'•  REST  IN  HEAVEN." 

"  There  is  an  hour  of  peaceful  rest 
To  mourning  wanderers  given  ; 
There's  a  tear  for  souls  distrest, 
A  balm  for  every  wounded  breast— 
'Tis  found  above,  in  Heaven." 

Jack  Tar  is  nothing  if  not  sentimental  when  about 
to  set  sail  on  a  cruise,  and  on  the  opposite  side  to  that 


114  THE  OLD  CHINA  BOOK. 

showing  the  pious  verse  above  quoted  is  a  ship  in  full 
sail,  a  sailor  and  his  lass  in  the  agonies  of  parting  and 
the  words,  "Jack  on  a  cruise.  Avast  there.  Back 
your  maintopsail." 

On  another  Hylton  ship  pitcher  I  find  this  verse; 

"Glide  on,  my  bark,  the  summer's  tide 
Is  gently  flowing  by  the  side  ; 
Around  thy  prow  the  waters  bright. 
In  circling  rounds  of  broken  light 
Are  glittering  as  if  ocean  gave 
Her  countless  gems  to  deck  the  wave." 

In  Fig.  96  is  shown  an  unusually  interesting  group 
of  Sunderland  pitchers,  all  of  them  of  that  rare  and 
interesting  pink-spotted  lustre  characteristic  of  these 
potteries.  The  largest  one  of  all,  gallon  size,  was 
found  in  Maine  within  the  year,  and  bought  for  six 
dollars — simply  nothing  for  such  a  jug  in  perfect  con- 
dition. On  the  side  shown  is  a  view  of  Twymouth 
Haven  with  ships  in  the  distance.  It  is  printed  in 
black  and  touched  by  hand  in  colours.  On  the  reverse 
side  is  a  ship,  flanked  on  either  side  by  a  sailor  and  a 
female  figure,  also  touched  in  colours,  and  the  verse: — 

"  The  sailor  tossed  on  stormy  seas, 
Though  far  his  bark  may  roam, 
Still  hears  a  voice  in  every  breeze 
That  wakens  thoughts  of  home  ; 
He  thinks  upon  his  distant  friends, 
His  wife,  his  humble  cot  ; 
And  from  his  inmost  heart  ascends 
The  prayer,  '  Forget  me  not." " 

The  next  smaller  pitcher  has  the  picture  showing 
the  parting  between  a  sailor  and  his  wife  and  child, 
and  a  verse  called  the  "Sailor's  Farewell."     It  runs: 


LIVERPOOL    PRINTED    WARES.       ns 

"  Sweet,  oh,  sweet,  is  that  sensation, 
Where  two  hearts  in  union  meet. 
But  the  pain  of  separation 
Mingles  bitter  with  the  sweet." 

This  pathetic  verse  seems  exclusively  the  property 
of  the  Sunderland  potteries.  Punch-bowls  of  this 
ware  have  it  as  well  as  pitchers. 

The  little  jug  in  the  center  is  one  of  those  interesting 
pieces  which  were  cast  in  an  old  silver  mould  and  then 
lustred.  It  is  made  of  coarse  pottery,  as  a  chip  on  one 
foot  shows,  and  came  into  the  present  owner's  posses- 
sion for  the  small  amount  of  twenty-five  cents. 

Sunderland  and  Newcastle  are  always  classed  to- 
gether in  descriptions  of  their  pot  works,  of  which  the 
earliest  were  established  between  1730  and  1740.  At 
Sunderland,  beside  the  jugs  pictured  with  the  joys  and 
sorrows  of  maritime  life,  favourite  patterns  were 
Nelson's  victories  and  the  famous  bridge  over  the 
Wear,  commenced  in  1793  and  finished  in  1796.  New- 
castle made  the  same  style  of  ware  as  Sunderland, 
earthenware,  and  what  was  called  "  cream-coloured 
fayence."  It  was  crudely  printed  and  painted,  and 
some  was  made  like  the  Leeds  ware,  pierced  and  em- 
bossed. The  well-known  "  frog  mugs  "  were  made  at 
Newcastle,  and  in  them  a  frog  is  represented  as 
climbing  up  the  side  of  the  mug,  gradually  being  re- 
vealed as  the  drinker  sups  the  liquor.  The  outside  of 
the  mugs  are  ornamented  with  the  verses  of  the  day. 
None  of  these  pieces  is  marked,  and  I  have  never 
seen  one  that  was ;  but  the  marks  of  these  potteries, 
when  used,  were  impressed  in  the  clay,  or  stamped  in 
transfer. 

It  was  not  alone  the  jugs  which  bore  inscriptions, 


ii6  THE   OLD   CHINA   BOOK. 

but  even  teapots  were  used  for  showing  popular  senti» 
ments.  For  instance  a  black  printed  one  has  this 
motto : 

"  Let  love  abide 
Till  death  divide." 

It  almost  seems  as  if  such  a  piece  must  have  been 
used  as  a  love  token  or  a  marriage  gift. 

Even  as  early  as  1742  these  inscriptions  began  to  be 
popular,  and  it  pictures  a  very  unusual  state  of  subjec- 
tion when  we  read  on  a  plate  : 

"  But  if  his  wife  do  frown 
All  merriment  goes  down." 

Punch-bowls  bore  inscriptions  which  their  size  and 
the  potency  of  the  liquid  they  carried  did  not  seem  to 
bear  out: 

"  With  gratitude  receive  ; 
With  temperance  enjoy." 

When  one  reflects  that  the  ingredients  that  went  to 
make  up  punch  were  arrack,  tea,  sugar,  water  and 
lemons,  with  personal  touches,  by  individual  mixers,  of 
rum,  French  brandy,  cider  royal,  etc.,  and  that  the 
bowls  held  many  gallons,  one  does  not  wonder  that 
such  words  as  "  cocky,  fuddled,  groggy,  jagged, 
screwed  and  hazed  "  were  necessary  to  express  the 
condition  of  convivial  souls  after  meetings  at  club  or 
ta'vern. 

It  is  on  a  small  jugr  that  the  sentiment, 


A  heart  that  conceals, 

But  a  tongue  that  never  reveals  ' 


is  found. 


LIVERPOOL    PRINTED    WARES.         117 

"  From  rocks  and  sands  and  barren  lands, 
Good  fortune  set  me  free. 
And  from  great  guns  and  women's  tongues 
Good  Lord  deliver  me  " 

IS  on  one  side  of  a  mug,  with  ship  and  nautical  em- 
blems on  the  other. 

Many  hunting  pieces  also  have  mottoes  on  them. 
One  has  a  brown  decoration  on  a  cream  body,  and  a 
picture  of  a  hare  in  full  flight. 

"  The  fearful  Hare  does  run  apace 
Because  the  hounds  are  on  their  chace 
The  country  he  is  forst  to  fly 
Whilst  they  are  out  with  Hue  and  Cry 
Nature  hath  taught  him  in  this  strife 
To  seek  for  to  preserve  his  life 
Which  he  by  running  doth  obtain 
And  the  Hounds  returne  againe 
The  Huntsman  seeing  that  doth  cry 
Let  him  goe  his  meat  is  dry 
I'll  to  my  landlady  with  speed 
For  I  of  her  have  greater  need." 

One  is  allowed  to  punctuate  this  at  pleasure,  and 
the  date  on  the  jug  is  1804. 

Occasionally  we  may  come  across  one  of  those  curi- 
ous  jugs  or  mugs  dealing  with  English  royalty  and 
containing  verses  eulogistic  or  very  much  otherwise. 
Perhaps  the  Georges  came  in  for  most  of  the  "  other- 
wise  '  verse,  and  here  is  one  : 

"  George  the  First  was  always  reckon'd 
Vile,  but  viler  George  the  second  ; 
And  what  mortal  ever  heard 
Any  good  of  George  the  Third  ? 
When  from  earth  the  fourth  descended 
Praise  the  Lord,  the  Georges  ended." 


ii8  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

This  was  made  after  1830,  when  George  IV  died. 
It  was  his  action  with  regard  to  Caroline,  his  queen, 
which  divided  all  England,  and  the  strong  feeling 
which  raged  both  for  and  against  her  found  its  way 
even  on  crockery : 

"  Long  live  Caroline,  Queen  of  England, 
As  for  the  green  bag  crew 
Justice  will  have  its  due, 
God  save  the  Queen  ! 

Confound  their  politicks. 
Frustrate  their  knavish  tricks. 
On  her  our  hopes  we  fix 
God  save  the  Queen  !  " 

A  recent  book  on  the  melancholy  life  of  this  un- 
crowned queen  does  much  to  throw  light  on  a  career 
which  is  quite  unexampled  for  the  cruelty  of  treat- 
ment and  humiliation  undergone  by  a  woman  of  royal 
blood. 

On  a  very  handsome  gallon  jug,  which  must  have 
taken  a  very  steady  hand  to  manage,  I  find  this  verse: 

*•  Come,  my  old  friend,  and  take  a  pot, 
But  mark  me  what  I  say  ; 
Whilst  thou  drink'st  thy  neighbour's  health, 
Drink  not  thy  own  away. 

For  it  too  often  is  the  case. 

Whilst  we  sit  o'er  a  pot, 

And  while  we  drink  our  neighbour's  health. 

Our  own  is  quite  forgot." 

This  one  on  a  mug  goes  right  to  the  point: 

"Call  freely. 
Drink  merrily. 
Pay  honestly. 
Part  quietly." 


LIVERPOOL   PRINTED   WARES.       119 

The  New  Hall  works  at  Shelton,  Staffordshire,  be- 
gan about  18 10  to  make  the  paste  with  a  large  admix- 
ture of  bone,  giving  up  the  porcelain  body  which  they 
had  manufactured  from  1777  to  1810.  They  made 
quantities  of  printed  ware  of  excellent  quality.  The 
earliest  mark  was  the  letter  "  N  "  in  script,  the  later 
mark  the  words  "New  Hall"  enclosed  in  a  double 
circle,  the  whole  mark  in  red.  The  works  ceased  to 
operate  in  1825;  so  all  china  with  this  mark  is  previous 
to  that  date. 

In  addition  to  all  this  printed  ware,  which  is  called 
Liverpool,  though  made  at  several  different  places, 
there  is  a  large  amount  belonging  to  what  may  be 
called  the  "  debased  period  "  in  china.  That  is  to  say, 
between  1840  and  1850.  Even  while  it  is  not  compar- 
able to  the  dark  blue,  with  either  English  or  Ameri- 
can views,  to  my  mind  there  is  much  of  it  deserving  a 
place  in  a  collector's  cabinet  and  of  both  ornamental 
and  intrinsic  value.  In  this  class  I  put  many  pieces 
printed  in  red,  green,  or  brown,  or  in  combinations  of 
these  colours.  I  know  of  a  tea-set  which  has  been  got 
together  after  years  of  patient  waiting  that  is  a  cheer- 
ing sight  every  time  it  appears  on  the  table.  The 
teapot  is  one  of  those  graceful  and  quaint  shapes 
copied  from  old  silver  ware,  and  the  paste  is  a  lovely 
creamy  tint.  On  it  are  printed  in  red  and  green  really 
charming  scenes,  which  come  under  the  head  of  "  Con- 
tinental Views,"  with  spires  and  towers,  water  in  the 
foreground,  and  boats,  etc.  These  are  pretty  compo- 
sitions which  engender  delightful  speculation,  every 
time  that  one  of  them  is  seen,  as  to  just  what  part  of 
which  continent  was  in  the  potter's  mind  when  this 
teapot  was  made.     Accompanying  it,  but  not  mated 


I20  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

with  it,  is  a  squatty  little  creamer,  printed  in  red,  on 
four  sturdy  legs,  and  decorated  with  a  view  illustrative 
of  Thompson's  "  Seasons."  There  is  a  haying-field 
with  loaded  wain  in  the  foreground,  and  peace  and 
plenty  in  rich  orchards  and  fertile  fields  compose  the 
background.  A  female  figure  raking  hay  gives  human 
interest  to  complete  the  scene,  and,  although  illustra- 
ting an  English  scene,  yet  it  might  well  stand  for  the 
fair  Virginia  landscape,  whence  this  little  creamer  wan- 
dered north. 

No  doubt  the  lady  in  the  picture  is  that  Sophron- 
isba,  the  iteration  of  whose  name  caused  so  much 
ridicule  to  be  heaped  on  poor  "  Jemmy  Thompson,"  as 
he  was  called  by  friend  and  foe  alike.  The  scene  on 
this  creamer  illustrates  those  four  linesnvhich  smack 
so  strongly  of  the  sentiment  no  poet  of  the  eighteenth 
century  was  without : 

"  An  elegant  sufficiency,  content, 
Retirement,  rural  quiet,  friendship,  books, 
Ease  and  alternate  labour,  useful  life. 
Progressive  virtue,  and  approving  Heaven ! " 

The  cups  which  go  with  this  set  stimulate  reflection 
as  well  as  the  larger  pieces.  The  first  one  is  in  brown, 
and  is  from  a  scene  by  Turner,  that  singular  man  with 
the  fingers  and  faculties  of  an  ideal  artist,  and  with 
the  degraded  appetite  of  a  tramp.  It  is  a  scene  from 
one  of  his  Italian  sketches,  and  I  fancy  it  was  one  of 
those  he  made  during  the  second  tour  in  1828,  when 
Ruskin  had  so  advanced  his  reputation  by  judicious 
pufifing  that  his  work  was  in  demand  on  every  side, 
and  for  many  purposes.  The  scene  on  this  cup  is  very 
lovely,  and  clearly  and  beautifully  printed.  Like  all 
the  other  pieces  in  this  little  group,  it  is  unmarked. 


LIVERPOOL    PRINTED   WARES.         121 

The  Japanese  have  a  proverb  that  "  Even  the  worst 
tea  is  sweet  when  first  made  from  the  new  leaf,"  which 
could  be  paraphrased  to  read,  "  Even  the  worst  tea  is 
sweet  when  sipped  from  so  dainty  a  cup,"  for  surely 
half  the  delight  of  a  meal  is  derived  from  its  pretty 
appointments.  In  FiG,  97  is  shown  a  little  set  of  var- 
ious kinds  of  printed  wares.  One  of  the  charms  of 
such  a  set  is  these  variations.  It  is  like  sets  of  books. 
How  much  greater  individuality  they  have  when  each 
one  is  differently  bound,  than  when  clothed  all  alike 
in  dull  uniformity,  the  only  means  of  identification 
being  numbers. 

In  inventories  of  estates,  in  notices  of  auction  and 
other  sales  in  newspapers,  and  in  old  wills  do  we  come 
across  the  lists  of  the  household  goods  of  our  ances- 
tors, and  learn  their  scant  number  and  the  value 
placed  upon  them.  The  care  with  which  minor  house- 
hold articles  are  specified  forms  one  of  the  curious 
features  of  these  family  bequests,  and  the  lack  of 
articles  of  pottery  and  earthenware  is  extremely 
noticeable,  particularly  in  those  documents  dating 
from  1700  to  1776. 

Feather  beds  and  slaves  were  the  objects  that 
seemed  to  be  in  the  greatest  abundance.  In  fact, 
hardly  a  will  is  without  a  specific  mention  of  the 
former,  and  after  the  slaves,  either  Indian  or  African, 
comes  the  family  Bible.  Silver  cups,  some  with  "two 
ears,"  are  mentioned,  and  in  one  family  of  wealth  the 
four  daughters  each  got  one  silver  spoon,  which  was 
an  uncommonly  large  supply  for  those  days. 

The  earliest  mention  of  earthenware  to  be  found 
among  old  wills  is  in  1711.  Evert  Van  Hoole  speci- 
fies  that    his   wife  shall  have  "  a  new  cupboard    and 


122  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

three  great  and  twelve  small  earthen  cups  that  stand 
on  top  of  said  cupboard,  and  six  varnished  chairs,  her 
looking-glass,  Dutch  Bible,  and  a  brass  kettle  and  a  tea- 
kettle and  a  bed,  with  all  thereunto  belonging."  As 
the  earthen  cups  come  first  in  the  list,  we  may  judge 
of  the  estimation  in  which  they  were  held.  Appar- 
ently they  were  more  for  show  than  for  use,  and  as  they 
belonged  to  a  Dutchman  we  can  guess  they  must  have 
been  delft.  Some  years  later  a  Hempstead,  Long 
Island,  farmer  leaves  to  his  daughter  "  one  featherbed, 
an  iron  pot,  six  plates,  three  platters,  two  basons,  one 
drinking  pot,  one  cupboard  worth  three  pounds,  six 
chairs  and  six  sheep."  While  the  good  man  was  writ- 
ing this  list  we  could  wish  that  he  had  specified  as  to 
the  material  of  said  plates,  platters  and  "  basons."  I 
fancy  they  were  pewter. 

The  little  set  shown  in  FiG.  97  is  printed  ware,  show- 
ing one  of  these  same  cups  and  saucers  with  Turner's 
designs.  One  can  see  what  a  dainty  picture  it  makes. 
The  teapot  is  black  printed  Liverpool,  quite  uncom- 
monly charming,  with  pretty  scenes  on  the  sides,  of  a 
garden  with  ladies  in  it,  and  of  a  very  populous  beehive. 
The  border  around  the  top  of  the  pot  and  also  on  the 
cover  is  scrolls  and  a  wreath  of  flowers.  On  the  scrolls 
are  such  moral  maxims  as  "  Flee  the  vicious,"  "  Be 
industrious,"  and  "Sorrow's  best  antidote  is  employ- 
ment." There  is  a  motto  for  every  day  of  the  week 
and  several  extra  for  Sundays  and  holidays.  The 
shape  of  this  pot  is  very  agreeable,  with  its  four  stout 
legs,  its  fluted  sides,  and  a  nicely  turned  spout. 

The  creamer  is  also  a  waif  and  stray,  with  black 
printed  view  and  a  little  leafy  decoration  in  pink  lustre. 
When  in  use  the  set  stands  upon  one  of  those  fine  old 


LIVERPOOL    PRINTED    WARES.        123 

trays  of  inlaid  satin  wood  which  Wedgwood  kept  on 
sale,  and  on  which  he  showed  off  his  dainty  boudoir 
and  breakfast  sets.  He  knew  well  how  attractively 
the  china  was  reflected  in  the  polished  wood,  and  how 
conveniently  all  the  necessary  articles  could  be  carried 
from  pantry  to  dining  parlour.  The  old  George  III 
silver  spoon,  with  its  straight  handle  and  little  bowl, 
seems  to  fit  better  with  such  a  set  than  the  more 
modern  and  more  weighty  curved  handled  spoon. 

If  one  can  come  across  anywhere  a  spoon  with  a 
"rat-tail,"  that  is  a  slender  rib  of  silver  running  down 
the  back  from  handle  to  bowl,  it  may  be  chosen  as  a 
fitting  companion  to  this  old  china,  particularly  as  you 
will  probably  be  able  to  find,  impressed  on  it  some- 
where, a  letter  showing  the  date  of  its  manufacture, 
and  a  design  showing  its  nationality. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

ENGLISH  PORCELAIN  AND  POTTERY. 

In  studying  the  beginnings  of  most  of  the  porcelain 
and  pottery  works  of  England,  it  is  found  that  generally 
all  of  them  began  with  imitating  Delft  decoration  in 
deep  blue.  A  chapter  might  well  be  written  headed 
"  The  Colour  Blue  "  and  dealing  exclusively  with  its 
use  on  china.  This  colour,  least  common  of  all  the 
colours  given  by  nature  to  bird,  insect  or  blossom,  has 
been  selected  by  the  Oriental  potter  for  many  of  his 
most  exquisite  achievements  and  copied  from  him  by 
other  nations  to  whom  a  brush-stroke  or  a  colour  does 
not  have  the  significance  that  it  has  for  the  Chinese 
worker.  In  the  sixteenth  century  cobalt  was  intro- 
duced, either  by  Jesuits  or  Mohammedans,  into  China 
and  used  more  or  less  freely  under  the  name  of  "  Mos 
lem  Blue."  This  shade  was  brighter  and  more  vivid 
than  the  restful  grayish  shade  used  for  centuries  pre. 
viously  and  on  china  made  for  palace  use  only,  the 
colour  of  which  was  known  as  "  blue  seen  through  a 
rift  in  the  clouds  after  rain." 

The  shade  of  blue  is  subject  to  infinite  variations, 
due  to  the  presence  of  certain  ores — manganese,  iron, 
etc. — and  may  become  almost  a  violet  tone,  or  take  a 
reddish  shade,  or  vary  again  from  the  delicate  tint  of 
the  robin's  egg,  through  mazarine  and  sapphire,  to  pea- 
cock blue.  To  the  original  users  of  this  colour,  blue 
meant  much  ;  it  had  a  religious  and  mythological,  as 


ENGLISH    PORCELAIN    AND    POTTERY.   125 

well  as  an  historical  significance,  which  was  lost  in  its 
transit  across  seas,  and  blue  was  chosen  in  the  Occi- 
dent for  its  durability  and  cheapness,  and  because  the 
Chinese  models  were  the  best  obtainable. 

Hard  glaze  porcelain  was  made  at  Plymouth,  Bristol 
and  Liverpool.  Soft  glaze  porcelain  was  made  at  Bow, 
Chelsea,  Derby,  Pinxton,  Rockingham,  Swansea, 
Nantgarw,  Liverpool  and  Worcester. 

The  very  early  Staffordshire  potters  commenced 
with  what  must  be  called  "  English  Delft,"  though 
properly  that  term  should  only  be  given  to  such  ware 
as  was  made  in  England  in  direct  imitation  of  the 
Dutch  ware  and  covered  with  tin  glaze.  However 
the  term  "  Delft  "  was  applied  long  after  tin  glaze  had 
been  superseded  by  translucent  glaze,  and  was  broad 
enough  to  cover  the  painting  of  birds  and  flowers 
in  the  Chinese  style  which  was  so  popular  with  the 
Dutch  china  painters  and  imitated  from  them  by  the 
English. 

"Old  Delft,"  properly  speaking,  is  that  faience 
made  in  Holland  during  the  seventeenth  and  eight- 
eenth centuries,  covered  with  a  heavy  opaque  glaze 
of  tin,  which,  like  salt  glaze,  has  many  tiny  holes  in  its 
surface.  It  is  very  friable,  and  chips  and  scales  easily, 
as  nearly  all  pieces  of  genuine  old  Delft  will  testify. 
English  Delft  with  tin  glaze  was  made  in  Bristol  and 
Liverpool,  as  well  as  in  Staffordshire  and  Lambeth. 

The  approximate  dates  for  porcelain  manufactures 
in  England  were  Bow,  about  1730,  Chelsea,  1745, 
Derby,  1756,  Worcester,  175 1,  Caughley,  175 1,  and 
Lowestoft,  1756,  Plymouth,  1760,  Bristol,  1768. 


126  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

Bow, 

Bow,  or  Stratford-le-Bow,  is  the  "Stratford  atte 
Bowe  "  which  Chaucer  writes  of  in  the  "  Canterbury 
Tales  "  : 

"  Ful  wel  she  sange  the  service  devine, 
Entuned  in  hire  nose  ful  swetely, 
And  French  she  spake  ful  fayre  and  fetisly, 
After  the  scole  of  Stratford  atte  bowe, 
For  French  of  Paris  was  to  hire  unknowe." 

It  has  long  since  been  absorbed  in  London  town.  It 
is,  or  rather  was,  a  little  town  on  the  bank  of  the 
river  Lea,  and  is  in  Middlesex,  the  smallest  county  in 
England,  but  with  the  largest  population,  since  the  City 
of  London  is  in  it  and  overflows  into  four  or  five 
other  counties  beside. 

Bow  is  not  far  from  the  famous  Tower  of  London, 
and  you  may  ride  out  there  on  the  top  of  a  'bus,  but 
you  will  not  find  any  china  there,  and  but  rarely  a 
bit  among  the  London  second-hand  shops.  It  is  all 
snapped  up  by  eager  collectors  or  their  agents. 

As  early  as  1730,  at  Stratford-le-Bow,  was  made  the 
first  soft  paste  porcelain  known  in  England.  In  1744, 
Thomas  Frye  and  Edward  Heylin  took  out  a  patent 
for  making  ware  "  equal  to  imported  china  or  porce- 
lain." It  is  not  usually  suggested  that  Bow  sent  out 
any  but  painted  wares ;  yet  in  a  curious  old  account 
book  of  the  goods  furnished  during  a  part  of  the  year 
1756,  are,  among  many  others,  these  three  entries: 

"  One  pint  printed  mug." 

"  One  half  pint  do." 

"  One  sett  compleat  of  the  second  printed  teas." 


ENGLISH    PORCELAIN    AND    POTTERY.    127 

Many  pieces  of  china  classed  as  Chelsea  belong  to 
Bow.  Among  the  most  notable  of  these  is  a  pair  of 
china  figures  of  Kitty  Clive  the  actress  and  Wood- 
ward the  actor,  exquisitely  modelled  and  finished  and 
bearing,  stamped  in  the  clay,  the  date  1758.  A  pair 
is  known  which  came  direct  from  the  factory  to  the 
family  whose  descendants  still  own  them.  These  fig- 
ures have  now  become  the  rarest  specimens  of  Bow 
manufacture.  The  lovely  Kitty  Clive,  that  famous 
English  actress  who  took  the  town  by  storm  early  in 
1700,  created  as  one  of  her  most  famous  parts  that  of 
Lady  Riot  in  "  Lethe."  So  popular  were  both  actress 
and  part  that  these  exquisite  little  figures  were  issued. 
Kitty  is  shown  in  a  monstrous  petticoat  with  laces  and 
furbelows.  The  companion  figure,  Woodward,  who 
plays  the  fine  gentleman,  struts  gaily  in  cocked  hat 
and  ruffles,  both  figures  being  most  delicately  modelled. 
Good  specimens  easily  bring  $150  each.  In  FiG.  98 
are  given  two  charming  examples  of  Bow.  What 
could  be  more  dainty  than  the  pickle  leaf  laid  across 
the  basket  work,  and  coloured  to  nature  with  veining 
and  stems?  The  butterflies  and  bees  are  brilliant  in 
colouring  also,  and  are  repeated  again  and  again  on 
the  little  creamer,  which  shows  a  pretty  ribbed  effect, 
with  three  plain  medallions  which  have  bunches  of 
flowers,  birds  and  insects.  This  same  ribbed  effect  is 
also  seen  on  other  wares  than  Bow,  and  was  popular 
no  doubt,  for  everything  that  met  the  fancy  of  the 
day  was  seized  upon  and  copied.  The  pickle  dish 
has  a  tiny  anchor  in  red,  one  of  the  numerous  Bow 
marks. 

The  goat  jugs,  with  or  without  the  modelled  bee, 
were  always  attributed  to  Bow;  but  they  were  made 


128  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

at  Chelsea  as  well  and  are  found  marked  with  the 
Chelsea  triangle.  In  the  same  old  account  book  pre- 
viously spoken  of,  and  which  makes  such  interesting 
reading,  we  learn  of  many  articles  made  at  the  facto- 
ries of  which  the  collector  would  otherwise  be  unaware. 
For  instance,  in  this  year,  1756,  there  is  the  record  of 
the  making  of  "two  dozen  crimson  buttons."  They 
made  also  many  harlequin  figures  and  swans.  Among 
many  other  articles  there  were  sent  to  a  Mr.  Fogg 
**  twelve  dragon  breakfast  cups  and  saucers  of  a  good 
deep  colour,  a  milk  pot,  same  pattern,  and  a  vine-leaf 
milk  pot." 

In  May  the  Duchess  of  Leeds  ordered  a  "  blue 
dolphin  pickle  stand."  An  order  reads,  "  Goats,  swans, 
and  every  other  sort  of  toys  to  be  sent  in  Baxter's 
order."  There  were  also  knife-handles,  candlesticks, 
animals  of  every  description,  salt-cellars  on  shell,  coral 
or  rock-work  stands,  pastoral,  garden  and  hunting 
scenes,  and  exquisite  vases  and  jars  with  raised  deco- 
rations, coloured  like  nature. 

The  paste  of  Bow  porcelain  varies  much  in  hardness, 
the  earlier  specimens,  made  with  American  clay  as 
early  as  1744,  being  harder  than  the  subsequent  pro- 
ductions, which  were  soft  paste.  These  latter  are 
heavy,  with  a  firm  compact  paste.  The  glaze  is  thick 
and  somewhat  milky  in  colour  and  blots  out  the  finer 
lines  in  relief  work.  The  decorations  are  in  delicate 
colours,  cleverly  arranged,  and  consist  of  birds,  butter- 
flies, insects,  etc.  The  flowers  on  dresses  of  the  fig- 
ures were  generally  in  yellow  or  crimson,  with  gold 
leaves.  Embossed  wares  in  pure  white  were  made  in 
large  quantities,  with  the  flat  surfaces  decorated 
with  paintings  of  insects  and  flowers.     The  hawthorn 


ENGLISH   PORCELAIN   AND   POTTERY.  129 

sprig  was  a  favourite  at  this  factory.  The  ware  was 
first  finished  in  a  biscuit  state  and  the  blue  decorations 
laid  on  before  being  glazed.  After  being  dipped  in 
the  glaze,  which  consisted  of  half  a  dozen  ingredients, 
the  articles  were  put  in  cases  and  burned  with  wood 
until  the  surface  was  clear  and  shining.  The  decora- 
tions in  colour  and  the  gilding  were  done  over  glaze 
and  fired  in  a  muffle  kiln. 

The  marks  employed  at  this  factory  are  open  to 
much  discussion.  There  was  no  regular  factory  mark, 
and  daggers,  arrow-heads  and  anchors  were  scratched 
and  painted  on  different  pieces,  while  the  triangle,  for- 
merly assigned  to  Chelsea,  is  now  assigned  to  both 
factories.  Mrs  Bury  Palliser  and  Prime,  who  follows 
largely  in  her  wake,  give  nineteen  possible  marks  for 
this  factory.  An  authentic  Bow  creamer,  with  the 
goats  and  bee  in  relief,  has  sold  at  auction  in  London 
for  £2$  los,  another  for  £'^  5s,  and  for  various 
intermediate  sums.  They  are  sometimes  found  in 
this  country  for  much  smaller  prices,  and,  whether 
Bow  or  Chelsea,  are  much  esteemed  in  all  collections. 
In  1776  Mr.  Duesbury  of  Derby  bought  the  works 
and  moved  them  to  Derby,  as  he  had  previously 
bought  the  works  at  Chelsea. 


Chelsea. 

Chelsea  town,  like  Stratford-le-Bow,  has  become  an 
integral  part  of  the  great  city  of  London.  It  had, 
nevertheless,  an  interesting  history  of  its  own,  and 
its  manor  was  given  by  the  much-married  Henry  VIII 
to  Catherine  Parr. 


130  THEOLDCHINABOOK, 

During  the  eighteenth  century,  and  while  the  china 
works  were  in  operation, "  the  village  of  Chelsea,"  as 
it  was  called,  was  the  home  of  many  famous  men. 
Swift,  Steele,  Smollett  and  Sir  Horace  Walpole  were 
among  them.  The  gay  Ranelagh  was  frequented  by 
the  "  smart  set "  of  those  days,  and  these  grounds 
were  in  Chelsea.  So  were  the  Cremorne  Gardens 
which  still  flourish  as  a  place  of  popular  entertainment. 
More  in  our  day  was  Cheyne  Walk,  where  the  Car- 
lyles  dragged  out  an  embittered  existence,  he  dis- 
traught over  his  neighbours'  roosters  and  she  waging 
warfare  over  the  "  blacks,"  as  those  huge  roaches  are 
called  in  London. 

Greatest  of  all  Chelsea's  monuments  is  the  famous 
old  hospital  for  invalid  soldiers,  begun  in  1682  by 
Sir  Christopher  Wren.  Even  as  late  as  1801  Chelsea 
was  thought  very  suburban — a  quiet  country  retreat. 

The  beginnings  of  Chelsea  china  are  meagrely  told 
and  obscure.  Large  quantities  of  ware  were  brought 
into  England  from  Holland,  and  the  best  workmen 
in  this  branch  of  the  art,  Dutch  workmen,  were  in- 
duced to  come  to  England  and  settle  there,  and  Chelsea 
was  one  of  the  towns  where  they  worked.  By  1745 
the  Chelsea  works  had  been  several  years  in  existence 
and  had  gained  celebrity  both  at  home  and  abroad 
for  the  wares  made  and  decorated  there.  From  1750 
to  1765  were  the  years  of  Chelsea's  greatest  popu- 
larity, and  enough  ware  could  not  be  made  to  supply 
the  demand. 

George  H  did  much  to  encourage  these  works  and 
also  procured  material  and  workmen,  so  that  this 
factory  might  successfully  compete  with  those  of 
Saxony  and  France.     Horace  Walpole  wrote  in  1763 


ENGLISH    PORCELAIN    AND    POTTERY.    131 

that  he  had  seen  a  magnificent  service  of  Chelsea 
china  "which  the  King  and  Queen  are  sending  to  the 
Duke  of  Mecklenberg.  There  are  dishes  and  plates 
without  number,  in  short,  it  is  complete,  and  cost 
;^i20o."  The  varieties  of  products  turned  out  from 
the  Chelsea  factory  were  immense.  Vases,  flat  ware 
and  tea  services,  candelabra,  statuettes  and  groups,  as 
well  as  quantities  of  pieceswhich  come  under  the  head 
of  "  toys,"  consisting  of  snuff-boxes,  patch-boxes,  trin- 
kets for  watch-charms,  smelling-bottles,  etc.  As  early 
as  1754  auction  sales  were  begun  as  a  good  and  quick 
method  of  disposing  of  the  wares.  Some  of  the  smel- 
ling-bottles, seen  now  only  in  collections,  are  charm- 
ing, being  modelled  in  the  forms  of  children  and  birds. 

From  about  1760  to  1763  the  famous  coloured 
grounds  of  Sevres  were  copied  very  successfully,  the 
most  popular  being  the  claret  colour,  and  next  in 
favour  coming  turquoise,  apple-green,  deep  blue  and 
crimson. 

The  body  of  Chelsea  is  very  uneven,  as  if  poorly 
mixed,  and  so  soft  and  susceptible  to  heat  that  it 
would  bear  but  one  firing  ;  so  all  decoration  was  done 
at  one  time.  By  holding  a  specimen,  like  a  plate,  up 
to  the  light  it  will  be  found  to  contain  spots  "  the 
unmistakable  Chelsea  spots, — moonlike  discs  scat- 
tered about  the  piece  irregularly  and  more  translu- 
cent than  the  rest  of  the  material."  Most  pieces  of 
Chelsea  china  have  the  stilt  marks  with  which  we  are 
so  familiar  in  Staffordshire  wares.  The  earliest  speci- 
mens are  blue  and  white,  as  was  to  be  expected,  and 
the  glaze  was  thick  and  unevenly  laid  on. 

After  the  Dutch  style  came  copies  of  Oriental 
patterns,  chiefly  on  cups  and  saucers,  and  after  that 


133  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

Sevres  and  Dresden  were  used  as  models  and  success- 
fully rivalled  both  in  colour,  form  and  execution.  The 
charming  groups  of  figures  which  are  the  highest 
exponents  of  Chelsea  work  were  now  produced  in  the 
greatest  perfection,  the  most  eminent  workmen  in 
these  lines  being  employed  to  make  them.  FiG.  99 
shows  a  dainty  one  of  these,  called  the  "  Music 
Lesson"  and  dated  1770.  The  perfection  of  this 
group,  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  years  old,  is  quite 
remarkable,  since,  as  may  be  seen,  the  apple  blossoms 
which  form  the  background  are  quite  unbroken  and 
look  fresh  enough  to  smell.  The  shepherdess  with 
her  lambs  and  the  shepherd  with  dog  and  pipe  are 
just  as  gay  and  debonair  as  when  they  left  the  pot- 
ter's hand  so  long  ago.  Not  even  a  finger  is  missing 
or  the  strap  by  which  she  holds  her  lamb.  After 
seeing  such  a  group  as  this  the  term  "  as  dainty  as 
Chelsea  china  "  seems  not  to  come  amiss.  The  beauty 
of  the  dresses  should  be  noted  and  the  careful  model- 
ling of  all  the  parts.  The  most  important  figures 
made  by  this  factory  are  well  known,  and  among 
them  are  Britannia  seated  on  a  lion  and  holding  a 
medallion  portrait  of  George  II. 

Shakespeare  and  Milton  are  a  companion  pair,  and 
on  the  former  is  the  inscription  : 

"  The  cloud  cap't  towers  and  gorgeous  palaces. 
The  solemn  temples,  the  great  globe  itself. 
Yea,  all  which  it  inherit,  shall  dissolve, 
And  like  the  baseless  fabrick  of  a  vision, 
Leave  not  a  wreck  behind." 

This  figure  of  Shakespeare  is  modelled  from  the 
monument  in  Westminster  Abbey.  This  same  figure 
has  been  reproduced  in  porcelain  or  pottery  by  nearly 


Fig.  Q9.     CHELSEA.     THE  MUSIC  LESSON. 
Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts. 


. ;  ;Fig*,  lop".    ^CROWN-DERBY.     FALSTAFF. 
Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts. 


ENGLISH   PORCELAIN   AND   POTTERY.    133 

all  the  noted  English  potteries.  There  were  also 
figures  of  Falstaff,  Minerva,  Neptune,  Diana,  Fame, 
Justice,  etc.  An  exceedingly  rare  piece  is  a  dove-cote, 
richly  decorated  with  raised  flowers,  and  at  the  base 
a  pointer  and  partridges. 

On  the  flat  ware  were  painted  the  daintiest  little 
sprigs,  dropped  on  as  it  seems,  so  realistic  are  they, 
and  attracting  by  their  true  colour  and  beauty,  gay 
insects,  butterflies,  bees  and  moths.  The  birds,  also, 
which  formed  little  groups,  were  carefully  modelled 
and  well  painted.  At  the  famous  Strawberry  Hill 
sale  of  Horace  Walpole's  china,  a  pair  of  cups  of  the 
famous  claret  colour  brought  twenty-five  guineas.  In 
the  British  Museum  are  specimens  of  this  ware,  pre- 
sented in  1763. 


Derby, 


With  the  travelling  about  of  workmen  from  one  pot- 
tery to  another  yes — even  their  travelling  from  one 
country  to  another — with  set  styles  of  workmanship 
and  decoration  at  their  command,  most  of  these  early 
unmarked  pieces  may  often  belong  to  one  factory  and 
yet  be  classed  with  another.  It  seems  a  pity  that  so 
beautiful  a  product  as  came  from  the  Chelsea  works 
should  have  been  so  soon  merged  with  another  and 
finally  absorbed,  and  that  the  absorber,  by  overproduc- 
tion of  inferior  goods,  should  decline  and  at  last 
cease  production. 

The  Mr.  Duesbury  who  bought  the  Chelsea  works 
in  1770  was  one  of  the  original  firm  who  started  the 
works  at  Derby  in   1756.      Their  chief  china  maker 


134  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

was  a  Frenchman,  named  Planche,  who  had  learned 
the  secret  of  china  making  in  Saxony,  where,  on  the 
death  of  his  father,  a  French  refugee,  he  had  lived. 
Mr.  Duesbury  was  the  business  manager  of  the  firm 
and  built  up  a  profitable  business,  selling  many  cases 
of  his  china  in  London  as  early  as  1763. 

The  finest  work  sent  out,  however,  is  generally  cred- 
ited as  belonging  to  the  Chelsea-Derby  period,  from 
1770-1775.  As  was  common  at  the  time,  the  work  from 
the  factories  was  disposed  of  at  auction,  but  from 
1773  there  was  a  London  warehouse  where  the  porce- 
lains were  put  on  sale  and  a  large  business  was 
done.  The  example  of  Derby  shown  in  FiG.  100  is 
the  famous  little  image  of  Falstaff,  which  was  so 
popular  at  this  date.  The  mock  heroic  figure  is  most 
amusing  and  shows  the  careful  modelling  which  was 
seen  in  nearly  all  the  wares  of  this  period.  The  colour- 
ing is  brilliant,  and  the  marks  are  very  clear,  showing 
the  number  of  the  pattern  which  was  incised  thus: 
"  No.  291."  The  period  is  made  clear  as  Crown-Derby, 
1785-1796,  as  the  letter  "D"  is  painted  below  a 
crown,  all  in  red.  There  is  also  the  number  "34," 
probably  the  decorator's  number. 

From  1785  till  1796,  the  date  of  Mr.  Duesbury's 
death,  his  son  was  associated  with  him,  and  both  fa- 
ther and  son  applied  themselves  to  the  improvement 
of  their  designs  and  to  the  spreading  of  their  popu- 
larity among  the  nobility  and  those  who  could  afford 
to  pay  well  for  superior  work.  To  this  period  belong 
those  services  distinguished  for  the  medallion  decora- 
tion  of  landscapes,  and  I'or  many  of  the  portrait  pieces, 
which  were  painted  by  a  man  named  Kean,  sometime 
a   partner   in    the    firm.      This    is   the    Crown-Derby 


ENGLISH    PORCELAIN    AND    POTTERY.    13S 

period,  but  the  get-rich-quick-policy  did  not  permit 
the  keepirig  up  of  a  high  standard  of  merit,  and  the 
works  declined. 

The  porcelain  of  Derby  was  a  beautiful  shade  of 
pure  white  soft  paste,  and  the  decorations  were  in 
great  variety  and  good  taste.  Vases  of  a  wide-mouthed 
pattern  were  a  favourite  product  of  these  works,  decor- 
ated with  birds,  flowers,  landscapes  and  figures  in 
medallions,  with  a  background  of  deep  rich  blue  and 
much  gold  decoration.  They  made  a  specialty  also 
of  beautifully  decorated  porcelain  thimbles.  Their 
best  flower  painter,  named  Billingsley,  worked  at  this 
factory  twenty  years  and  more,  and  he  was  only  one 
of  many  who  were  equally  successful  in  painting 
flowers,  birds,  or  Oriental  subjects  and  figures.  Rib- 
bed or  fluted  cups  and  saucers  handsomely  gilded 
were  made  before  the  Chelsea  works  were  finally 
closed. 

In  the  Crown-Derby  period  were  made  many  beau- 
tiful patterns,  and  the  porcelain  of  the  highest  class 
was  always  costly.  Dr.  Johnson,  in  1777,  complained 
that  the  porcelain  cost  as  much  as  silver,  and  to-day 
one  of  the  choice  patterns  is  worth  almost  its  weight 
in  gold. 

The  marks  varied  with  the  successive  periods,  the 
first  being  a  capital "  D  "  or  the  word  "  Derby."  Then 
there  were  "  Derby  "  surmounted  by  a  crown,  the  word 
"  Derby"  with  an  anchor  on  printed  ware,  and  of  the 
last  period,  "  Bloor-Derby  "  on  an  oval  or  round  strap. 
There  is  little  difficulty  in  making  out  these  marks, 
for  "  D  "  or  "  Derby  "  is  included  in  them  all  and  be- 
longs exclusively  to  these  works.  These  works  did  not 
exist  for  quite  an  entire  century,  and  the  whole  time 


136  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

may  be  covered  by  six  periods,  as  follows :  Duesbury, 
1751-1769;  Chelsea-Derby,  1 769-1 775  ;  Bow-Chelsea- 
Derby,  1775-1786;  Crown-Derby,  1786-1796;  Dues- 
bury  and  Kean,  1 796-1 815  ;  Bloor-Derby,  1815-1848J 
Towards  the  end  of  1700  white  Derby  china  was  sold 
to  be  painted  by  amateurs,  which  explains  the  care- 
lessly decorated  pieces  sometimes  met  with,  and 
which  present  such  a  problem  to  the  collector. 

Bristol, 

Whether  one  turns  to  pottery  or  porcelain,  that 
made  at  Bristol  seems  especially  desirable,  but  elusive. 
Bristol  was  one  of  the  centres  where  hard  paste 
porcelain  was  regularly  made,  and  a  book  has  been 
written,  called  "  Two  Centuries  of  Ceramic  Art  in 
Bristol,"  which  covers  both  the  pottery  and  porcelain 
products.  It  was  not  until  1735  that  flat  ware,  bowls, 
etc.,  were  made  here,  and  the  most  interesting  period 
dates  only  from  1768-1778,  when  Champion  made 
hard  paste  porcelain. 

Specimens  of  Bristol  pottery  are  to  be  found  as 
early  as  1703.  Queen  Charlotte  had  a  pair  of  high- 
heeled  shoes  or  choppines,  very  dainty  affairs  with  a 
big  buckle,  made  at  this  pottery  and  dated  1 705. 
Just  here  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  say  that  about  1800 
there  was  a  pottery  at  Burton-upon-Trent,  where  the 
only  product  made  was  the  ordinary  Staffordshire 
ware,  and  the  only  designs  used  were  boots,  shoes  and 
slippers,  and  the  celebrated  Wellington  boots.  The 
works  potted  only  four  years  and  belonged  to  a  Dr. 
Nadin.  This  Staffordshire  foot-wear  is  occasionally 
found,  but  is  not  so  valuable  or  interesting   as  that 


ENGLISH    PORCELAIN    AND    POTTERY.    137 

made  at  Bristol.  Some  of  these  Bristol  shoes  are 
found  dated  as  late  as  1722.  Of  course  this  early 
"delft  "was  blue  and  white,  and  there  are  blue  and 
white  specimens,  in  flat  ware  chiefly,  as  late  as  1760. 
The  later  Bristol  colours  are  generally  a  grayish  blue, 
with  small  quantities  of  green  and  yellow,  and  the 
enamel  is  hard  and  durable,  not  chipping  off  as  is  usual 
with  pottery. 

While  Bristol  was  prominent  early  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  pottery,  she  was  later  than  several  other 
cities  in  making  porcelain.  The  first  mention  of  it 
was  1766,  when  it  was  made  by  Champion,  who,  in  1773, 
bouglit  Cookworthy's  patent  and  works.  Champion 
made  his  goods  from  models  from  Dresden,  following 
in  the  wake  of  other  English  makers  and  copying 
freely  popular  subjects.  He  also  imitated  Chinese 
ware  in  colour  and  design,  and  in  general  such  pieces 
have  no  mark,  or  only  the  cross  on  them. 

In  1778  the  works  at  Bristol  were  closed,  and  the 
patent  right  was  sold,  in  1781,  by  Champion  to  a  com- 
pany of  Staffordshire  potters  who  had  works  at  New 
Hall.  Every  piece  of  true  Bristol  ware,  owing  to  the 
short  time  the  works  were  in  operation,  is  rare  and  of 
value.  Everybody  has  heard  of  the  Smith  set,  pre- 
sented by  Edmund  Burke  to  his  friends  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Smith  of  Bristol,  which  is  extolled  as  the  "best  the 
manufactory  could  produce."  Many  extremely  beau- 
tiful vases  were  made,  brilliantly  painted,  as  well  as 
plaques  of  crests,  flowers,  wreaths,  etc.,  in  biscuit. 
Figures  were  made  also,  some  of  the  best  known  being 
the  "  Four  Seasons  "  and  the  "  Four  Elements"  (also 
made  at  Derby),  and  many  shepherds,  milkmaids  and 
other  figures.     See  FiG.  lOi. 


138  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

The  paste  is  not  fine  but  is  disfigured  by  fire-cracks 
and  warpings  ;  the  glaze  is  marred  by  bubbles  and 
pin-holes.  The  frequent  practice  of  baking  paste  and 
glaze  at  one  firing  is,  no  doubt,  responsible  for  these 
defects.  There  was  a  inferior  ware,  called  "  Cottage 
China,"  decorated  with  festoons  and  flowers  and 
sprigs  scattered  at  random  over  it ;  ribbons  in  bows 
and  knots  are  also  sometimes  found  on  this  as  well  as 
on  the  more  expensive  Bristol  porcelain. 

The  marks  on  Bristol  are  various,  but  perhaps  the 
most  characteristic  one  is  the  X-like  cross,  impressed 
or  painted  in  blue  or  brown  and  generally  accom- 
panied by  a  numeral,  from  l  to  24,  but  never  above 
che  latter  figure.  These  figures  referred  to  the  work- 
men, each  of  whom  was  known  by  a  number.  Occa- 
sionally there  is  a  dot  with  a  cross  and  numeral,  and 
when  Dresden  patterns  were  used  the  Dresden  crossed 
swords  were  used  as  a  mark,  often  with  a  dot  between 
the  handles.  In  FiG.  102  is  given  a  group  of  charac- 
teristic Bristol  pottery.  The  two  mugs  are  unmarked  ; 
the  pitcher  is  marked  with  a  cross  in  brown  ;  the  sugar- 
bowl  with  the  handles  is  marked  with  the  cross  and  nu- 
meral "  6,"  and  the  other  sugar-bowl  is  Leeds,  showing 
how  easily  Leeds  may  be  mistaken  for  Bristol,  though 
the  colour  of  the  glaze  is  different.  The  sugar-bowl 
we  call  Leeds  is  marked  with  a  "  G"  in  brown.  This 
is  one  of  the  regular  Leeds  marks.  This  photograph 
is  taken  from  specimens  in  the  Antiquarian  Rooms  at 
Concord,  Massachusetts. 

It  is  only  the  rarity  of  these  pieces  which  gives 
them  their  value,  as  a  comparison  with  the  figurines  in 
Chelsea  and  Derby  shows  the  greater  excellence  of  the 
latter  two.      Within  a  few  months  a  Bristol  porcelain 


^^K    ^^^1 

V^  ^.  >  ^1 

■  i '       "^^ 

^H_>                     ■'IIV 

■r'^>:4  V4T^-4^^ 

Fig.  tot.     BRISTOL.     FLORA. 


Fig.  IU2.     BRISTOL  POTTERV. 


Figr.  lo-,.     LEEDS  WARE. 


ENGLISH    PORCELAIN    AND    POTTERY.    139 

tea-set,  painted  with  flowers  in  their  natural  colours, 
consisting  of  teapot,  creamer,  sugar-box  and  eight  cups 
and  saucers,  brought  $210  in  London,  while  the  vases 
decorated  with  "exotic  birds"  bring  $1,500  and 
over. 

The  city  of  Bristol  to-day  one  can  imagine  to  be 
little  changed  from  what  it  was  when  the  factory  for 
china  was  in  full  operation.  There  is  not  a  scrap  of 
the  porcelain  to  be  picked  up  anywhere  and  but  a  few 
pieces  shown  in  the  Museum  there,  which  is  famous 
for  its  portrait  of  Oliver  Cromwell.  There  is  in  use 
a  two-wheeled  cart,  a  sort  of  chariot  affair  which 
seems  a  survival  of  Roman  days,  and  the  city  is 
quaintness  exemplified  ;  but  London,  or  even  our  own 
country,  seems  better  hunting  ground  for  Bristol  china 
than  its  birthplace. 


Leeds. 

In  1760  the  Leeds  Old  Pottery  was  founded  by  two 
brothers  named  Green.  Fifteen  years  later  Humble 
and  Green  made  cream  ware  there,  and  in  1786  the 
firm  was  Hartley  and  Green.  At  first  "  Leeds  Ware  " 
meant  the  product  from  this  pottery  alone,  but  later 
it  has  come  to  include  the  ware  made  in  the  County  of 
York,  where  Leeds  is  situated,  and  where  there  were 
many  potteries  in  operation  late  in  1700  and  early  in 
1800.  The  best  of  this  ware  was  that  made  at  the  Leeds 
Old  Pottery,  but  as  the  mass  of  this  ware  was  quite 
unmarked  it  is  often  difificult  to  distinguish  between  the 
different  factories. 

Leeds  ware,  whether  cream  or  white,  has  peculiari- 


140  THE    OLD    CHINA    BOOK. 

ties  which,  once  known,  make  it  easy  to  identify.  In 
the  first  place  the  paste  is  very  light  and  frail,  and,  most 
characteristic  of  all,  the  glaze  is  a  most  pronounced 
green  in  shade,  which  colour  shows  plainly  around 
knobs  and  handles,  under  the  rims  of  saucers  and 
plates,  and  in  any  place  where  the  glaze  is  not  thinly 
spread.  The  decorations  are  in  a  variety  of  styles, 
either  under  or  over  glaze  painting,  printed  ware  and 
raised  work,  ranging  from  highly  finished  products  to 
crude  and  slovenly  work  on  the  ordinary  pieces.  The 
best  cream-coloured  Leeds  ware,  without  decoration  in 
colour,  is  both  artistic  and  beautiful,  and  is  worthy  of 
more  attention  than  is  given  to  it  by  collectors.  There 
are  exceedingly  fine  candlesticks  to  be  found  occasion- 
ally, and  parts  of  dinner-sets  (owing  to  the  frail  char- 
acter of  the  ware  these  do  not  survive  entire),  the 
tureens,  pitchers  and  dishes  having  a  certain  kind  of 
twisted  handle  which  is  very  pretty.  I  have  heard 
recently  of  two  tureens  in  different  parts  of  the  country, 
one  of  them  coming  in  way  of  trade  and  both  being 
of  similar  size  and  decoration.  They  have  the  pretty 
twisted  handles  and  a  sort  of  raised  leaf  decoration 
about  the  body,  as  well  as  a  graceful  shape  and  a 
cover  with  a  large  and  fine  knob. 

There  are  basket-work  dishes,  plates  and  fruit  bas- 
kets (though  I  have  seen  this  same  style  of  pieces  with 
the  impressed  name,  an  anchor  of  Davenport,  and  also 
from  Herculaneum  Pottery).  These  pieces  are  cut 
out  and  modelled  in  the  paste,  not  cast  in  a  mould. 
There  is  a  fine  fruit  dish  of  this  style  in  a  very  creamy 
tint  in  the  Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts.  The  usual 
Leeds  ware  found  here  now,  though  quantities  were 
sent  over,  is  the  more  ordinary  white  earthenware  or  of 


ENGLISH   PORCELAIN   AND    POTTERY.    141 

a  very  pale  cream  tint.  The  bulk  of  it  is  decorated  in 
colours  or  with  gold,  and  much  of  the  decoration,  on 
the  pitchers  particularly,  is  quite  crude.  Lustre  dec- 
oration, copper,  silver  and  a  purplish  pink  are  much 
used  in  bands  and  little  leaf  patterns  and,  more  rarely, 
as  a  background  with  the  cream  ware  showing  as  a  pat- 
tern. A  group  of  these  lustred  decorations  is  shown 
on  the  top  row  of  FiG.  103  in  the  group  of  Leeds 
ware,  the  pitcher  on  the  left  side  of  the  lower  row 
being  silver  lustre  with  pattern  left  white — "  resist  " — 
and  the  others  copper  and  purplish  pink  decoration. 

Pepper-pots  are  not  unusual  with  uneven  bands  of 
blue  or  green,  and  the  swan-knob  pieces  are  not  alone 
confined  to  Leeds  ware,  for  I  have  seen  them  on 
marked  Bristol  as  well.  The  fluted  teapots  with  swan- 
knobs  are  less  common,  and  I  have  been  offered  a  fine 
cup  and  saucer  of  fluted  ware,  decorated  prettily  in 
colours,  for  one  dollar,  a  modest  price  for  a  perfect 
specimen.  Very  ornamental  tea  caddies,  gaily  decor- 
ated, come  in  Leeds  ware,  and  were,  no  doubt,  made 
for  the  fashionable  tea  gardens  of  the  period,  when  each 
table  was  furnished  with  its  little  tea  caddy,  and  cus- 
tomers were  expected  to  make  their  own  infusion. 
The  lustre  ware  of  Leeds  make,  marked  or  unmistak- 
able,  is  perhaps  the  rarest  of  all. 

About  1800  black  ware  was  made  here,  and  up  to 
1813  between  ninety  and  one  hundred  different  patterns 
of  teapots  in  black  ware  were  made  at  Leeds  alone. 
The  shapes  are  veiy  varied  in  form,  size  and  style  of 
ornamentation.  They  were  round,  octagonal,  oval  or 
twelve-sided,  and  I  have  seen  one  capable  of  holding 
four  quarts.  The  knobs  were  the  familiar  seated  fig- 
ure, lions,  swan,  a  flower,  etc.     Enguie-turned  mugs 


142  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

and  jugs  were  made  at  this  pottery  as  early  as  1782, 
and  much  of  this  black  ware  is  quite  inferior,  the 
handles  not  being  neatly  joined,  the  covers  not  fitting. 
While  Wedgwood's  designs  were  copied  at  this  pot- 
tery in  cream  ware,  they  are  easily  distinguished  by 
the  green  glaze.  This  tint  was  produced  by  the  use 
of  arsenic,  which  crippled  the  workmen  so  that  they 
were  not  able  to  follow  the  trade  for  more  than  four  or 
five  years.  By  far  the  larger  quantity  of  the  articles 
was  made  for  Russia  and  Germany. 

The  marks  "  C  "  or  "  G,"  or  both  letters  together, 
in  brown,  are  the  earliest  marks.  There  will  be  found, 
also  :  "  Hartley  and  Green,  Leeds  Pottery,"  or  "  Leeds 
Pottery  "  only.  A  collection  of  Leeds  pottery  is  inter- 
esting  from  the  variety  of  shapes  and  decorations  one 
may  find  in  it,  and  a  cabinet  or  corner  cupboard  filled 
with  it  is  an  ornament  to  any  room.  As  yet  it  is  not 
difficult  to  find  at  moderate  prices,  and  a  quart  pitcher, 
with  animals  and  leaves  in  lustre  and  colours,  may 
often  be  had  for  a  couple  of  dollars. 


Worcester* 

There  is  no  china  that  has  had  so  much  written 
about  it  as  Old  Worcester.  The  objects  for  which 
certain  cities  were  famous  seem  to  have  run  in  threes. 
Chelsea  was  noted  for  its  china,  buns  and  hospital  ; 
Derby  for  its  stockings,  cotton  mills  and  china;  and 
Worcester  for  its  gloves,  china  and  sauce.  It  is  only 
at  the  last-named  city  that  the  manufacture  of  its 
group  of  three  things  still  keeps  on,  and  to-day  you 
may  buy  modern  china  fresh  from  the  factory,  gloves 


ENGLISH    PORCELAIN    AND    POTTERY.    143 

made  from  almost  everything  from  elephant  to  mouse- 
skin — to  measure  at  that — and  sauce,  the  odours  of 
whose  manufacture  float  agreeably  over  the  city. 

Worcester  was  only  in  its  infancy,  so  far  as  china 
was  concerned,  when  Derby,  Chelsea  and  Bow  had 
already  achieved  name  and  fame.  The  Worcester 
Porcelain  Company  was  formed  in  175 1  for  the  manu- 
facture of  china  ware,  and,  of  course,  turned  its  atten- 
tion first  to  blue  and  white,  endeavoring  to  imitate 
Chinese  porcelain  in  both  form  and  colour.  Some- 
what later  it  diverged  into  the  briUiant  pigments 
of  the  Japanese,  and  then  was  led  off  to  more  elabo- 
rate productions  of  its  own.  Who  has  not  seen  and 
handled  with  delight  the  beautiful  old  Worcester, 
in  "  Japan  Taste  "?  Many  tea-sets  of  this  ware  were 
brought  to  this  country  in  the  fine  old  ships  that  took 
out  goods  to  England  and  brought  back  the  luxuries 
with  which  many  a  fine  mansion  was  adorned. 

The  famous  Worcester  Old  Works  date  from  175 1 
to  1847,  ^"<^  they  passed  through  many  hands.  The 
earliest  Worcester  china  was  made  of  a  "  frit  "  body 
for  the  finer  kinds  of  china,  but  an  inferior  paste  was 
formed  for  commoner  ware.  The  frit  paste  may  be 
told  by  its  density  and  by  its  green  tint  when  seen 
with  transmitted  light.  It  was  formed  of  sand,  gyp- 
sum, soda,  salt  and  nitre,  melted  together  in  a  mass, 
then  broken  and  pulverized.  A  light  shade  of  blue 
was  popular  for  decorations,  as  well  as  much  more 
ornate  patterns,  with  landscapes,  birds,  insects  and 
flowers  on  them,  with  much  gilding.  Worcester  was 
famous  for  its  blues— cobalt,  turquoise  and  enamel 
blue — and  tea  and  dessert  services  of  every  description, 
compotieres,  pierced  baskets,  cider-mugs,  punch-bowls, 


144  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

jugs,  butter-boats,  pickle-dishes,  etc.,  were  some  of  the 
articles  made.     Figures  and  groups  were  not  made. 

Transfer-printing  was  early  in  use,  in  1/57,  and  Wor- 
cester has  always  disputed  with  Liverpool  in  claiming 
the  invention  of  this  branch  of  the  trade.  Richard 
Holdship  and  Robert  Hancock  are  two  names  con- 
nected with  the  early  history  of  Worcester,  and  much 
controversy  is  rife  as  to  which  the  monogram,  "  R.  H.," 
so  often  found  on  Worcester  porcelain,  belongs.  As 
has  been  said,  china  painters  and  workmen  went  from 
one  factory  to  another,  carrying  their  own  styles  of 
work  with  them,  and  we  have  Worcester  china  "  in 
Chelsea  style,"  as  well  as  in  their  own.  Some  of  the 
most  famous  patterns  in  Worcester  transfer-prints  are: 
George  J  I,  with  trophy  and  ship,  by  Holdship;  Queen 
Charlotte  ;  George  HI  when  young,  with  Fame  and 
Britannia  ;  Marquis  of  Granby  ;  William  Pitt ;  Shake- 
speare between  Tragedy  and  Comedy  ;  milkmaids,  and 
other  pastoral  scenes,  from  copper-plates  engraved  by 
Robert  Hancock,  these  being  very  rare ;  tea  parties 
and  Chinese  landscapes  and  figures,  printed  in  red,  and 
signed  "  R.  H.  fecit  " ;  ruins  ;  fishing  and  haymaking 
parties  ;  fortune  tellers,  and  hunting  scenes. 

Printing  from  engraved  plates  was  succeeded  by 
what  is  known  as  "  bat-printing,"  which  is  described 
thus:  "The  plate  was  stippled  with  a  fine  point  by 
London  artists,  after  choice  designs.  The  copper- 
plate was  then  carefully  cleaned ;  a  thin  coating  of 
linseed  oil  was  then  laid  upon  it,  and  removed  by  the 
palm  of  the  hand  from  the  surface,  leaving  the  oil  in 
the  engraved  lines.  Instead  of  paper,  bats  of  glue 
were  used  to  take  impressions  from  the  plate,  and  laid 
on  the  china  so  as  to  deliver  the  oil  marks  on  to  its 


ENGLISH    PORCELAIN    AND    POTTERY.    i45 

surface.  It  was  then  dusted  with  the  colour  required, 
the  superfluous  colour  being  removed  with  cotton 
wool,  and  then  placed  in  the  kiln." 

Worcester  porcelain,  undecorated,  was  sold  to  be 
decorated  by  amateur  or  professional  artists.  The 
marks  during  Wall's  ownership  were  so  many  and 
various  it  is  impossible  to  enumerate  them  all.  The 
earliest  was  a  script  "  W."  Then  there  were  crosses 
and  crescents,  the  Dresden  swords,  imitation  Chinese 
characters,  anchors  and  lines. 

The  periods  into  which  Worcester  porcelain  may  be 
divided  are  as  follows:  J.  Wall,  1751-1783  ;  Flight, 
1783-1793;  Flight  and  Barr,  1807-1813;  Flight,  Barr 
and  Barr,  181 3.  In  1786  two  brothers  named  Cham- 
berlain, employees  of  the  Old  Works,  started  a  rival 
establishment,  and,  in  1840,  under  the  title  of  Cham- 
berlain &  Co.,  the  Old  Works  and  their  factory  were 
united.  By  1847  the  Old  Works  practically  ceased, 
and  the  New  Works  and  the  Royal  Porcelain  works 
are  the  present  successors. 

In  1783  John  Flight,  who  had  been  agent  for  the 
Worcester  works  in  London,  bought  the  concern. 
Though  he  and  his  sons  put  in  energy  and  capital 
and  did  a  large  business'so  far  as  quantity  was  con- 
cerned, the  standard  of  work  never  rose  to  that  artistic 
height  which  made  it  famous  under  Wall's  manage- 
ment. In  the  first  place  the  paste  they  used  was  in- 
ferior and  never  attained  the  clearness  and  trans- 
parency of  Old  Worcester,  or,  for  that  matter,  of 
Chamberlain's  body  either. 

The  patterns  used  by  Flight  were  simple  painted  or 
printed  flowers,  and  one  style,  called  "  royal  lily,"  was 
a  favourite  with  the  nobility.     Decorations  in  "  Japan 


146  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

Taste,"  a  relic  of  the  Old  Works,  were  also  a  product 
of  this  time,  as  well  as  full  armorial  bearings  on  whole 
services.  From  1783  to  1840  the  marks  were  the  name 
"  Flight,"  or  "  B,"  or  "  B.  F.  B.,"  "  F.  B.  B.,"  with  or 
without  a  crown.  FiG.  104  shows  a  cup  and  saucer 
daintily  fluted,  and  painted  in  colours,  and  FiG.  105, 
an  equally  charming  plate.  The  pieces  are  marked 
with  the  crescent  in  blue,  which  places  them  as  ex- 
tremely early  specimens,  for  the  crescent  was  used 
shortly  after  1751,  when  the  factory  was  opened  by 
Dr.  Wall. 

The  Chamberlain  concern  started  in  1786  for  decor- 
ating only,  and  the  white  ware  was  furnished  from 
the  Caughley  works.  The  business  increased,  and,  in 
1796,  a  great  impetus  was  given  when  the  Prince  of 
Orange  visited  the  works  and  ordered  a  dessert  service. 
From  this  time  on  dinner  and  dessert  sets,  elaborate 
and  costly,  were  produced  for  royalty  and  nobility. 
Lord  Nelson  and  Lady  Hamilton  ordered,  on  their 
visit  in  1802,  a  breakfast-service,  a  dinner-service  and  a 
pair  of  vases.  One  of  the  latter  was  to  have  a  portrait 
of  Nelson  supported  by  a  figure  of  Fame,  and  the  other 
a  likeness  of  Lady  Hamilton.  Nelson's  death  before 
anything  but  the  breakfast  set  was  finished  and  the 
countermanding  of  the  rest  of  the  order  was  a  blow 
to  the  Chamberlains.  Specimens  of  this  breakfast 
service  are  occasionally  met  with.  They  are  decor- 
ated with  a  baron's  as  well  as  a  duke's  coronet  and  the 
order  of  San  Joseph  in  a  panel,  with  an  Oriental  pat- 
tern in  colours  and  gold.  The  services  made  for  the 
Prince  Regent  in  181 1,  in  Japan  style,  and  for  the 
Princess  Charlotte,  in  old  Sevres  style,  were  their 
most  costly  efforts. 


Fig.  104,     OLD  WORCESTER  CUP  AND  SAUCER. 


Fig.  105.     OLD  WORCESTER  PLATE, 


r.  106.     PLYMOUTH.     HARLEQUIN. 
Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts. 


ENGLISH    PORCELAIN   AND    POTTERY.    i47 

The  paste  used  by  Chamberlain  is  very  different 
from  that  used  by  either  Wall,  or  Flight  and  his  suc- 
cessors. It  is  lighter,  more  translucent,  and  made 
from  Wall's  original  recipe,  but  improved  by  the  use 
of  better  materials  discovered  since  his  time.  It  is 
pure  in  colour,  and  the  "  Regent's  Body  "  has  a  close- 
ness of  texture  that  leaves  little  to  be  desired.  Most 
of  Chamberlain's  products  are  plainly  marked  with 
his  name,  and  thus  easily  identified.  The  Grainger 
Works,  started  in  1801,  have  been,  after  a  century  of 
operation,  absorbed  by  "The  Royal  Porcelain  Works." 
It  is  at  these  works  that  "  Royal  Worcester"  is  made. 

Plymouth, 

The  originator  of  Plymouth  porcelain,  like  the  first 
of  European  porcelain  makers,  Bottcher,  was  a  chem- 
ist's apprentice.  The  Plymouth  maker  was  William 
Cookworthy,  who  had  learned  his  business  in  London, 
and,  as  early  as  1745,  wrote  to  a  friend  concerning  the 
importation  of  kaolin  and  petunse,  both  necessary 
ingredients  of  porcelain,  from  Virginia.  Presumably 
the  difficulty  of  procuring  these  ingredients  from  so 
great  a  distance  caused  Cookworthy  to  search  for 
them  at  home,  and  he  was  successful,  for  he  discovered 
at  Cornwall  both  a  white  plastic  clay  and  a  species  of 
granite  which  gave  the  vitreous  material  required. 
In  1768  Cookworthy  took  out  a  patent  for  the  manu- 
facture of  "  a  kind  of  porcelain,  newly  invented  by  me, 
composed  of  moorstone,  or  growan,  and  growan  clay." 
This  was  the  first  English  porcelain  made  from  native 
ingredients.  The  earliest  examples  were,  as  with  the 
other  works,  blue  and  white ;  but  the  blue  was  a  dull, 


148  THEOLDCHiNABOOK. 

dark  shade,  which,  under  much  experimenting  by 
Cookworthy  gradually  became  clearer  and  better. 

His  knowledge  of  chemistry  was  of  great  assistance 
to  this  potter,  and  he  was  the  first  to  produce  cobalt 
blue  directly  from  the  ore.  It  is  a  pity  that  Cook- 
worthy's  experiments  took  so  many  years ;  for  when 
success  was  at  last  obtained  he  was  an  old  man,  he 
had  spent  a  large  sum  of  money  pursuing  his  experi- 
ments, and  six  years  after  the  taking  out  of  his  patent, 
that  is  in  1774,  he  sold  it  out  to  a  relative,  Richard 
Champion  of  Bristol,  already  mentioned,  and  retired 
from  manufacture. 

The  white  porcelain  of  Plymouth  is  one  of  its  nota- 
ble features.  The  paste  is  hard  with  a  fine  glaze 
resembling  polished  ivory,  except  that  the  colour  is 
milky  white  instead  of  yellow.  One  of  these  choice 
white  figures  is  given  in  FiG.  106.  It  is  of  a  harlequin 
and  shows  admirable  modelling  and  is  full  of  spirit. 
The  quaint  dress  comes  out  well  in  the  snowy  paste, 
and  it  bears  the  incised  mark  of  a  four.  This  was 
really  a  chemical  sign,  but  it  resembles  "4"  more  than 
anything  else. 

Cookworthy  had  a  great  fancy  for  marine  objects, 
and  shells,  limpets  and  cockles  were  favourites  with 
him,  arranged  in  tiers  and  groups.  He  also  used  coral 
forms,  exquisitely  modelled  from  Nature ;  all  his 
pieces  are  very  beautiful  and  delicate,  and,  generally, 
unmarked.  The  earliest  pieces  were  salt-cellars, 
pickle-cups  and  toilet  pieces,  and  are  hardly  found 
outside  of  collections.  In  white  were  also  made  fig- 
ures, singly  and  in  groups,  birds  and  animals.  Among 
the  best  known  figures  were  those  of  Europe  and  Asia. 

The  Plymouth  tea  and  coffee  pots  are  very  hand- 


ENGLISH    PORCELAIN    AND    POTTERY.    149 

some,  many  of  them  being  tall  in  shape,  with  a  pat- 
tern modelled  in  the  clay,  with  colour  decoration 
besides.  On  mugs,  jugs,  cups  and  saucers,  and  vases, 
birds  and  flowers  are  found,  exquisitely  painted. 
These  were  done  by  a  Frenchman,  named  Soqui, 
who  came  from  the  Sevres  factory.  A  man  named 
Bone,  a  native  of  Plymouth,  who  had  been  trained  by 
Cookworthy  himself,  was  the  one  who  excelled  in 
blue  and  white  decorations. 

The  marks  on  Plymouth  are  various,  a  sign,  some- 
what like  the  figure  4,  and  Cookworthy's  name  being 
those  most  in  use,  Plymouth  porcelain  is  seldom 
met  with  in  New  York  State  by  the  china  hunter;  but 
it  is  not  so  scarce  in  New  England,  and,  I  do  not 
doubt,  much  is  hoarded  away  in  the  rich  pantries  of 
Salem  town,  where  collections  are  the  rule  not  the  ex- 
ception. 


Lowestoft. 


What  our  great-grandmothers  used  for  their  best 
"  chaynie,"  was  this  very  ornamental  porcelain,  which 
may  be  found  to-day  all  through  New  England,  al- 
though like  all  other  wares,  except  Staffordshire,  it  is 
not  so  common  in  the  interior  towns. 

While  luxury  was  not  characteristic  of  the  early 
New  England  homes,  yet  there  were  those  whose 
household  goods  would  have  seemed  rich  and  elegant 
to-day,  when  pretty  and  tasteful  china,  glass  and  silver 
come  within  the  reach  of  so  many.  Mr.  Elias  H. 
Derby,  who  died  in  1805,  was  accounted  one  of  New 
England's  wealthiest  men.     His  estate  was  estimated 


ISO  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

at  $200,000,  and  the  inventory  is  long  and  interesting. 
Among  crowds  of  other  household  "  stuff  "  are  men- 
tioned two  complete  sets  of  china,  one  valued  at  $230, 
and  the  other  at  $371.  Yet,  with  all  this  luxury  of 
china,  he  owned  but  eight  silver  spoons  ! 

It  was  in  the  ships  belonging  to  this  same  Elias  H. 
Derby  that  crates  and  rolls  of  china  were  brought  to 
Salem.  From  New  Haven  went  many  a  staunch 
vessel,  bearing  hoards  from  the  friends  and  neighbours 
of  the  captain,  and  coming  home  laden  with  china  and 
stuffs,  drugs  and  rock  candy,  which  were  distributed 
by  means  of  florid  advertisements  in  the  papers,  or  by 
the  milliners  or  fancy  goods  merchants,  who  made  little 
ventures  in  other  lines  of  business  than  their  own.  Af- 
ter the  Revolution  the  merchant  marine  of  Salem  in- 
creased very  fast,  and  they  brought  goods  from  every 
land.  In  1786  the  "Grand  Turk  "  was  the  first  New 
England  ship  to  double  the  Cape  for  Canton.  In  1805 
Salem  had  forty-eight  vessels  that  sailed  around  the 
Cape  ;  so  no  wonder  the  "  notable  housekeepers  "  had 
cupboards  full  of  china. 

Lowestoft,  while  still  plentiful  in  many  New  Eng- 
land towns,  as  well  as  in  the  South,  showing  what  large 
quantities  of  it  came  to  this  country,  has  the  most 
baffling  history  of  any  ware  made  within  two  centuries. 
On  the  question  of  this  porcelain  all  china  collectors 
may  be  said  to  be  ranged  in  two  camps  :  those  who 
believe  that  Lowestoft  was  Oriental  porcelain,  deco- 
rated in  England  at  the  town  of  that  name,  and  those 
who  believe  that  the  decoration  as  well  as  the  porcelain 
was  made  in  China. 

To  fully  understand  the  differences  of  opinion  it  is 
well  to  begin  with  the  geographical  position  of   the 


ENGLISH    PORCELAIN    AND    POTTERY.  151 

town  of  Lowestoft.  It  is  situated  in  Suffolk  on  the 
east  coast  of  England,  ten  miles  south  of  Yarmouth. 
Just  opposite,  across  the  North  Sea,  is  Rotterdam,  in 
Holland,  a  great  port  of  entry  for  Dutch  merchantmen 
trading  from  the  East  from  as  early  as  1600.  There 
was  a  tax,  to  be  sure,  on  undecorated  ware  brought 
into  England  from  China  between  the  years  1775  and 
1800,  yet  it  can  be  seen  how  easily  china  could  have 
been  shipped  in  from  Rotterdam,  there  being  no  em- 
bargo between  England  and  that  country. 

If  such  large  quantities  of  undecorated  china  were 
carried  to  England  it  is  strange  that  there  is  scarcely 
a  piece  to  be  found  unpainted.  I  know  of  but  one 
such  piece  in  this  country,  a  helmet  creamer,  which  is 
held  in  a  private  collection  in  Newark,  N.  J. 

It  is  admitted  on  all  sides  that  as  early  as  1756,  and 
until  1762,  soft  paste  pottery  was  made  at  Lowestoft  in 
imitation  of  Delft  ware,  and  decorated  in  blue  and 
white.  Pieces  dated  and  signed  are  held  in  and  about 
Lowestoft  and  in  several  museums  in  England.  Mr. 
Jewitt,  who  has  unearthed  what  facts  are  known  about 
Lowestoft,  says,  "  the  collector  will  be  able  to  distin- 
guish immediately  between  those  examples  painted  at 
Lowestoft  on  Oriental  body,  and  those  which  were 
potted  and  painted  there." 

The  porcelain  which  we  call  Lowestoft  is  of  a  fine 
pearly  tint,  the  usual  colour  of  Chinese  porcelain. 
The  decoration  has  certain  characteristics  which  are 
all  soon  learned,  and  then  each  collector  must  make 
up  his  own  mind  as  to  the  position  he  wishes  to  take 
in  regard  to  this  much  disputed  question. 

The  styles  of  decoration  were  various,  but  the  most 
(amiliar  are   those  with   dark  blue   bands,  or  dots,  or 


IS2  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

other  figures  heavily  overlaid  with  gold,  usually  with 
coats  of  arms  ;  or  decorations  in  one  colour,  showing 
landscapes,  figures,  flowers  and  sprigs ;  and,  most 
familiar  of  all,  flowers  and  sprigs  in  natural  colours, 
with  delicate  borders  in  colour  and  gold. 

The  richest  collection  it  has  been  my  good  fortune 
to  examine  gathered  under  one  roof  is  at  the  Anti- 
quarian Society,  in  the  historic  town  of  Concord, 
Massachusetts.  Not  only  is  the  amount  of  porcelain 
very  large,  but  it  is  of  the  greatest  variety,  embracing 
all  the  familiar  patterns.  The  pieces  are  not  under 
glass,  but  advantageously  placed  in  corner  cupboards 
and  on  tables  and  stands,  so  that  the  china  hunter  is  at 
liberty  to  study  at  his  leisure,  and  even  to  handle,  if 
he  bears  in  mind  Emerson's  injunction,  "  That  the 
best  things  in  this  world  are  generally  a  little  cracked." 
See  Fig.  107. 

The  kindly  custodian  seems  to  know  at  a  glance 
the  true  lovers  who  may  be  trusted,  and  goes  about 
his  business,  leaving  one  to  touch  reverently,  compare 
pastes  and  patterns  and  bask  in  a  china  lovers'  para- 
dise. 

To  give  some  idea  of  how  much  of  this  china  came 
to  America,  it  is  asserted  that  all  the  scores  of  pieces 
shown  here  were  collected  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Concord.  It  must  be  remembered,  however,  that 
Boston  and  Salem  were  ports  of  entry,  and  that  the 
early  settled  and  nearby  towns  had  opportunities  for 
purchasing  china  not  granted  to  more  remote  places. 

In  Fig.  108  are  shown  some  of  the  rose  pattern 
Lowestoft  to  be  found  at  the  Concord  Antiquarian 
Society.  One  notices  the  Oriental-looking  teapot, 
with  its   quaint  and    prim   little    English   sprigs,  the 


CORXER  CL'PIU 
Antiquarian  Soc 


ARD  OF  LO\V?:sTOF- 
ety.  Concord. 


Fig.  io8.     ROSE-SPRIGGED  LOWESTOFT. 


Fi^  loo      BLUE- BANDED  LOWESTOFT. 


ENGLISH    PORCELAIN   AND    POTTERY.   153 

rough  nut  on  top  just  touched  with  gold,  and  the 
familiar  twisted  handle.  The  tall  graceful  jug  is  a 
shape  not  shown  before,  and  may  have  been  used 
either  for  flip  or  hot  water,  its  use  being  regulated  by 
the  temperance  proclivities  of  its  owner.  This,  too, 
has  the  rose  for  decoration,  larger  bunches  being 
shown  on  the  sides  and  little  sprigs  being  scattered 
about.  There  are  also  jugs  of  this  same  shape,  with 
covers,  but  much  smaller,  from  five  to  six  inches  high, 
evidently  for  hot  milk,  as  they  come  with  the  tea-sets. 
The  cup  and  saucer  are  also  adorned  with  the  rose 
pattern,  and  on  the  inside  of  the  cup  is  a  charming 
design  in  several  colours.  The  shapes  of  all  these 
pieces  of  pearly  tinted  Lowestoft  are  very  Oriental  in 
character,  the  tea  caddies,  with  the  rough  nut  on  top, 
generally  coloured  or  gilded,  and  the  flat  twisted  han- 
dles, have  always  been  characteristic  of  Chinese  porce- 
lain. So  were  the  tiny  cups  without  handles,  and  the 
little  dog,  which  is  often  used  for  a  knob  on  covers,  is 
Celestial  in  every  line. 

But  when  we  approach  the  decoration  it  is  a  different 
matter.  Those  pieces  with  a  rose  in  the  decoration  are 
thought  to  point  conclusively  to  English  decoration 
for  two  reasons.  The  first  is  that  one  of  the  chief  dec- 
orators at  Lowestoft  was  an  Englishman  named  Rose, 
who  used  this  graceful  method  of  signing  his  pieces, 
and  the  second  is  that  the  arms  of  the  borough  were  the 
Tudor  or  full-blown  rose.  A  rose  like  this  is  never 
found  on  avowedly  Chinese  porcelain,  and  these  flowers 
all  look  as  if  painted  at  one  place,  possibly  by  one 
hand. 

They  tell  at  Concord  an  amusing  story  about  this 
same    Lowestoft.     The   original  collector   of    all   the 


154  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

interesting  and  valuable  relics  gathered  here  had  a 
small  stock  of  china  lore.  He  began  to  gather  what 
was  old  long  before  many  of  us  recognized  its  beauty. 
In  the  early  days  of  these  Colonial  Rooms — before  the 
founder's  death — he  used  to  show  his  collection  himself. 
A  visitor  one  day,  on  looking  at  the  china,  remarked, 
"  I  see  you  have  some  Lowestoft  here."  The  old  man 
thought  she  called  his  china  "  low  stuff,"  and  promptly 
ejected  her  for  running  down  his  collection.  He  re- 
lated the  incident,  some  days  later,  to  a  lady  who  lived 
in  Concord,  and  she  upheld  the  delinquent  and  said 
it  was  "  very  fine  Lowestoft."  He  was  convinced,  but 
against  his  will,  and  there  is  still  to  be  seen  a  slip  of 

paper  in   his   handwriting  which  says,  "  Mrs. says 

this  china  is  low  stuff."  He  shuffled  the  responsibility 
for  its  name  off  his  own  shoulders  at  any  rate. 

In  Fig.  109  is  shown  a  group  of  the  blue  and  gold 
decoration.  As  you  see  it  standing  on  the  quaint 
fluted  tea-table,  so  it  may  have  stood  a  hundred  years 
ago,  presided  over  by  the  mistress  of  the  house  in  bro- 
cade gown  and  embroidered  kerchief.  The  straight- 
nosed  tea  pot  and  the  tea  caddy  with  the  little  dog 
atop  have  been  seen  before.  The  decoration  this  time 
is  different.  A  pair  of  birds,  each  with  a  twig  in  its 
mouth,  face  each  other,  surrounded  by  a  circle  of  rich 
blue  starred  with  gold,  and  outside  that  a  delicate 
wreath  of  gold.  The  teapot  has  a  similar  bird,  but  a 
heavier  blue  circle  and  without  the  wreath,  showing  a 
simple  variation  of  a  popular  pattern  which  could 
easily  be  made,  free  hand,  in  a  factory  where  English 
decorators  were  allowed  freedom  in  executing  their 
designs,  but  highly  impossible  to  an  Oriental  decora- 
tor, who  slavishly  followed  the   pattern  before  iiim. 


ENGLISH    PORCELAIN    AND     POTTERY.   15s 

The  beautiful  helmet  jug,  which  shows,  even  in  the 
picture,  the  irregularity  of  its  surface,  and  the  teacup 
and  saucer  belonged  to  the  same  set. 

To  judge  of  their  unsurpassed  elegance  one  should 
hold  them  in  the  hand,  note  the  splendid  blue  of  the 
border,  overlaid  with  a  pattern  in  gold,  and  then  study 
the  almost  classic  form  of  the  vase  which  forms  their 
decoration,  its  severity  mitigated  by  the  delicate  sprays 
of  gold  surrounding  it.  The  blue  border  is  broken  by 
small  medallions,  and  the  contrast  of  the  blue  and  gold 
with  the  pearly  tint  of  the  china  is  very  satisfying  to 
the  eye. 

The  other  cup  is  of  an  unusual  shape,  has  on  it  a 
solitary  bird  surrounded  by  a  wreath,  and  above  it 
a  blue  and  gold  border.  The  tea  caddy  stands  in  a 
pretty  tray,  though  usually  they  have  parted  company 
years  ago.  To-day,  in  shops  where  they  sell  Oriental 
china,  you  will  find  caddies  of  this  identical  shape, 
even  the  little  dog  on  top  being  cousin  to  the  one  on 
the  caddy  shown.  But,  for  decoration,  blue  and  white 
Chinese  patterns  only. 

In  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art  there  is  a  col- 
lection of  over  thirty  pieces  of  Lowestoft,  with  the 
blue  and  gold  decoration.  It  is  placed  in  cases  with 
specimens  of  other  old  English  china,  and  is  conspicu- 
ously labelled  Lowestoft  many  times,  showing  that  the 
authorities  here  do  not  regard  it  as  Oriental.  There  is 
the  well-known  blue  border  starred  with  gold,  not  so 
rich  a  pattern  as  on  the  cup  and  saucer  and  creamer  in 
Fig.  109  but  still  very  handsome.  There  is  a  shield 
with  entwined  initials  in  gold,  and  on  some  of  the 
pieces  the  two  characteristic  birds. 

The  early  history,  the  entire  history  of  china  manu- 


156  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

facture  at  Lowestoft,  whether  hard  or  soft  paste,  is 
very  indefinite.  The  original  proprietor  of  the  works 
was  a  Mr.  Hewlin  Luson.  Mr.  Robert  Browne,  who 
bought  the  works  from  him,  died  in  1771,  and  was 
succeeded  by  his  son,  also  Robert  Browne,  who  made 
great  improvements  in  the  body.  In  fact  the  china 
made  was  so  satisfactory  that,  in  1770,  the  year  before 
the  elder  Browne  died,  they  put  their  china  on  sale  in 
London,  as  the  following  advertisement  duly  sets 
forth : 

"  Clark  Durnford, 

Lowestoft  China  Warehouse. 

No.  4  Great  St.  Thomas  the  Apostle, 

Queen  St.,  Cheapside,  London, 

Where  merchants  and  shopkeepers  may  be  supplied 

with  any  quantity  of  said  ware  at  the  usual  prices. 

N.  B.  Allowance  of  twenty  per  cent  for  ready  money." 

There  is  also  in  existence  the  original  account  madt 
by  a  man  sent  out  by  Wedgwood  to  buy  pieces  of  all 
well-known  wares.  This  was  so  that  the  enterprising 
Wedgwood  might  learn  of  all  improvements  in  paste 
made  by  his  contemporaries,  for  the  benefit  of  his  own 
wares.  Among  other  articles  of  china  purchased  may 
be  found  the  following:  "  May  12,  1775,  One  Leastoff 
slop  basin."  Mention  is  made  in  the  same  account  of 
pieces  of  Bristol  and  Chelsea  wares,  showing  that 
Lowestoft  was  thought  of  enough  importance  to  chal- 
lenge the  notice  of  Wedgwood,  the  foremost  potter  of 
his  day. 

In  Fig.  no  are  found  three  pieces  of  Lowestoft  soft 
paste  porcelain,  with  a  thick  glaze  and  characteristic 
rose.  The  tint  of  the  body  is  creamy,  not  the  pearly 
tint  of  the  other  hard  paste  porcelains.     They  were 


Fig.  no.     CERTIFIED  LOWESTOFT. 

Boston   Museum  of  Fine  .'\rts. 


Fig.  III.     SPODE. 


Fig.  112.     MASON'S  STONE. 


ENGLISH    PORCELAIN    AND    POTTERY.    157 

given  to  the  Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts  by  a  col- 
lector of  china  living  in  the  Isle  of  Wight.  They  are 
labelled  "  Lowestoft,  certified  to  have  been  made  in 
England."  One  of  the  most  unfortunate  things  about 
Lowestoft  is  that  it  is  all  entirely  unmarked.  Only 
the  early  blue  and  white  specimens  bear  any  mark 
whatever. 

The  pieces  shown  in  FiG.  no  are  less  delicate  than 
those  of  the  hard  paste  porcelain.  The  bands  around 
the  saucer  are  red  with  yellow  dots,  and  the  flowers 
are  in  their  natural  colours.  The  creamer  does  not 
belong  to  the  same  set,  but  the  lattice  work  decora- 
tion in  deep  rose  is  sometimes  seen  on  the  hard  porce- 
lain and  is  not  in  the  least  an  Eastern  pattern,  and 
the  shape  of  the  jug  is  not  familiar  in  the  hard  paste 
pieces.  I  have  seen,  in  the  hard  porcelain,  the  tray  to 
a  very  beautiful  fruit  basket.  It  has  a  rich  heraldic 
device  in  the  centre,  enclosed  by  festoons  of  flowers, 
while  the  rim  is  in  pierced  work,  each  square  being 
decorated  by  a  few  dots  of  enamel.  There  are  the  re- 
mains of  the  whole  of  this  set,  which  was  a  dinner- 
service,  and  even  the  salt  cellars  are  richly  decorated 
both  inside  and  out. 

The  end  of  the  manufacture,  or,  at  least,  decoration 
of  this  china,  is  quite  as  mysterious  as  the  rest  of  its 
history.  It  ceased  between  1803  and  1804,  "owing,  it 
is  said,  partly  to  the  severe  competition  of  the  Staf- 
fordshire potters,  partly  to  trade  losses,  one  of  which 
was  the  seizure  by  Napoleon,  in  Holland,  of  several 
thousand  pounds'  worth  of  their  merchandise  in  that 
country."  There  are  no  traces  of  a  factory  left,  and 
no  fragments  of  china  have  ever  been  dug  up. 


»58  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 


Spode, 


In  general  china  ware  takes  the  name  of  the  place 
where  it  is  made.  In  this  case  it  takes  the  name  of  the 
maker,  Josiah  Spode,  who  established  a  factory  at 
Stoke-upon-Trent  as  early  as  1770.  He  had  all  the 
training  necessary  to  make  a  good  potter,  for  he  was 
apprenticed  to  Thomas  Whieldon,  who  made,  among 
many  other  ceramic  products,  the  beautiful  tortoise^ 
shell  ware.  Spode  was  nearly  forty  years  old  when  he 
started  out  on  his  own  account,  and  he  was  succeeded 
by  his  son  who  commenced  the  manufacture  of  porce- 
lain in  addition  to  pottery  about  1800.  William  Cope- 
land  became  a  partner  of  Spode  in  1779,  and  the 
business  is  carried  to  the  present  day  by  descendants 
of  the  original  Copeland. 

The  first  products  of  the  factory  were  pottery,  then 
porcelain,  and  finally  a  superior  kind  of  ironstone 
china,  which  was  almost  porcelain,  so  superior  was  it. 
This  was  invented  by  the  younger  Spode  in  1805. 
The  body  ot  the  porcelain  was  soft  and  white  and  the 
glaze  fine.  A  great  improvement  was  made  in  the 
body  of  the  paste  when  bones  were  introduced,  and 
many  ot  the  shapes  of  the  articles  are  very  beautiful. 
The  dinner  and  tea  services  of  porcelain,  which  are  not 
uncommon  in  this  country,  are  among  the  finest  sets 
ever  sent  over  here,  and  even  the  ironstone  has  a 
certain  elegance  ^bout  it. 

The  first  Spode  died  in  1797,  and  his  son  carried  on 
the  business  until    1827,  when   he   died.     There   are 


ENGLISH    PORCELAIN    AND    POTTERY.    159 

given  the  names  of  some  of  the  patterns  which  made 
the  Spodes  famous,  with  the  date  of  manufacture  -. 

Castle,  1806.  Tower,  18 14. 

Roman,  1811.  Peacock  and  New  Temple,  1814. 

Turk,  18 13.  New  Nankin,  1815. 

Milkmaid,  1814.  Italian,  1816. 

New  Japan,  181 5.  Woodman,  1816. 

India,  181 5.  Oriental,  1820. 

Dagger  border,  1 8 14. 

The  Blue  Imperial  was  introduced  in  1826,  one  year 
before  the  younger  Spode  died. 

While  any  of  this  china  and  semi-china  is  good  to 
own,  particularly  if  it  be  an  heirloom,  the  Spode  which 
is  really  worth  a  place  in  a  collection  is  that  made  by 
Spode  the  elder,  which  would  bring  it  prior  to  1797. 

All  Spode  the  elder's  work  is  marked,  and  his  pot- 
tery, decorated  in  gold  and  colours,  commands  and  is 
worth  a  high  price.  His  black,  and  jasper  wares  in 
any  colour,  marked,  are  rare.  From  1784  to  1789  the 
mark  was  simply  Spode,  in  printed  letters,  impressed. 
From  1800  to  1827  the  mark  consisted  of  the  name 
Spode  in  printed  letters,  impressed,  and  usually  in 
addition,  the  name  of  the  pattern  in  blue,  purple  or 
red.  On  the  stoneware  the  mark  was  "  Spode,  Feldspar 
Porcelain  "  or  "  Spode,  Stone  China."  After  this  date, 
if  the  name  Spode  was  used,  it  appeared  as  "  Late 
Spode."  While  there  are  large  quantities  of  this 
china  all  over  the  country,  it  is  one  of  the  least  familiar 
to  those  who  are  not  collectors.  Not  long  since  I  had 
a  letter  asking  what  a  "  Spode  cup  "  was.  The  writer 
had  been  reading  one  of  the  popular  Colonial  novels, 
and  the  heroine  was  depicted  as  drinking  tea  from  a 


i6o  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

Spode  cup,  and  the   query  arose  as  to  what  sort  of 
material  it  was. 

There  are  three  other  porcelain  manufactories  which 
should  be  briefly  mentioned  in  any  category  of  Eng- 
lish wares.  They  are  "  Swansea,"  Nantgarw  and 
Caughley. 

Swansea. 

As  early  as  1750  a  pottery  was  established  at  Swan- 
sea where  ordinary  wares  were  manufactured. 
George  Haynes  was  the  original  owner,  and  about 
1800  he  perfected  a  paste  which  he  called  "opaque 
china."  He  made  it  for  a  little  more  than  two  years 
only,  and  then,  in  1802,  sold  the  works  to  Lewis 
Dilwyn,  and  the  articles  sent  out  during  his  holding 
of  the  works  were  very  beautiful.  A  painter  named 
Young  decorated  the  china  with  exquisite  birds,  but- 
terflies and  flowers.  All  this  choice  work  was  put 
upon  the  opaque  china,  for  real  translucent  porcelain 
was  not  made  till  18 14  by  Dilwyn.  Four  years  only 
was  this  choice  product  made — the  best  English  porce- 
lain made  up  to  that  date.  It  is  very  scarce  now 
and  very  highly  prized.  The  body  was  soft  paste, 
beautiful  in  colour  and  glaze  and  exquisitely  decor- 
ated with  flowers,  birds,  etc. 

The  marks  are  very  plain,  "  Swansea,"  impressed  or 
stencilled  in  red,  with  occasionally  a  trident  in  red. 
The  history  of  Swansea,  like  that  of  so  many  other 
pottery  works,  closed  with  its  absorption  by  another 
factory.  In  1820  the  works  were  bought  by  John 
Rose,  of  Coalport,  and  incorporated  with  his  factory 
at  that  place. 


ENGLISH    PORCELAIN    AND    POTTERY,    i6i 


Nantgc 


As  with  Swansea  so  with  Nantgarw.  This  little 
town,  as  one  may  learn  from  its  name,  was  in  Wales, 
and  from  1813  to  1820  the  factory  made  porcelain 
objects  in  a  variety  of  lovely  shapes — vases,  plaques, 
and  dinner,  tea  and  tete-a-tete  services.  They  made 
exquisite  tinted  grounds  in  many  colours,  and  in 
addition  these  were  painted  with  flowers,  birds  and 
insects  in  their  natural  colours.  A  very  favourite 
decoration  was  a  sweetbriar  rose,  and  a  border  of  tre- 
foil or  clover  leaves  was  very  characteristic. 

This  factory  was  started  by  William  Billingsley, 
the  flower  painter.  The  career  of  this  man  is  worthy 
of  note  as  showing  why  the  decorations  of  different 
factories  so  closely  resemble  each  other.  He  first 
appears  at  Derby  as  an  apprentice,  in  1774,  and  there 
he  stayed  and  worked  for  twenty  years.  In  1794  he 
went  to  Pinxton  in  Derbyshire,  where,  with  John 
Coke,  he  established  a  small  porcelain  factory,  in  which 
Billingsley  managed  the  making  of  the  paste,  which 
was  a  good  soft  paste  porcelain,  with,  generally,  a 
decoration  in  blue  and  gold,  known  as  the  Chantilly 
sprig. 

He  is  next  heard  of  at  Mansfield,  where  he  was 
painting  porcelain  on  his  own  account,  then  a  little 
later  at  Torksea,  also  painting.  During  1808,  on 
account  of  some  trouble,  probably  the  divulging  of 
trade  secrets,  he  went  into  hiding,  but  was  soon  heard 
of  at  Worcester  Works,  where  he  remained  decorating 
porcelain  till  1813.  At  this  date,  with  his  son-in-law, 
a  man  named  Walker,  he  opened  the  works  at  Nant- 
garw, and  managed  the  works  at    Swansea,  until,  in 


i62  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

1820,  both  these  works  were  bought  by  Mr.  Rose 
and  transferred  to  Coalport,  whither  Billingsley  went 
also.  Here  he  seems  to  have  lived  and  worked  until 
his  death  in  1828,  at  the  age  of  seventy.  His  handi- 
work can  be  seen  on  porcelain  from  Derby,  Worcester, 
Swansea,  Nantgarw  and  Coalport,  and  when  he  had 
the  opportunity  he  placed  his  mark,  a  "  B,"  on  the 
pieces  he  decorated.  Most  proprietors,  however,  did 
not  allow  this,  preferring  their  wares  to  go  out  with 
the  factory  mark  only. 

The  pieces  of  this  porcelain  which  are  extant,  when 
not  tinted,  show  a  beautiful  white  ground.  The  mark 
is  *'  Nantgarw,"  printed,  or  impressed. 


Caughley. 


The  original  pottery  at  Caughley,  Shropshire,  was  es- 
tablished as  early  as  175 1,  but  the  works  in  which  most 
interest  is  felt  were  built  in  1772,  by  Thomas  Turner, 
at  which  were  made  the  Caughley  or  Salopian  wares, 
many  of  which  were  sent  to  this  country.  His  pot- 
tery and  porcelain  were  of  the  best  quality,  for  it  was 
Turner's  policy  to  employ  the  best  artisans.  In  1780 
he  introduced  the  willow  pattern,  which  was  designed 
by  one  of  his  decorators  named  Minton,  from  Oriental 
models.  Turner  is  said  to  have  made  the  first  com- 
plete dinner  service  of  printed  ware  in  England. 

The  first  Caughley  ware,  like  the  early  output  from 
most  of  the  other  works,  was  blue  and  white.  Force- 
lain  was  made  there  and  sold  in  an  undecorated 
state  to  other  works.  In  1788,  when  Robert  Chamber- 
lain started    his  works  at  Worcester,  he    bought  his 


ENGLISH    PORCELAIN   AND     POTTERY.    163 

china  at  Caughley,  and  had  it  sent  by  barge  down  the 
Severn  to  Worcester.  This  was  also  done  at  Grainger's 
works  at  Worcester. 

Printing  on  porcelain  is  one  of  the  fields  in  which 
Caughley  did  a  large  and  successful  business.  Even 
before  this,  as  early  as  1757,  both  Caughley  and  Wor- 
cester made  printed  pottery,  and  Robert  Hancock, 
who  has  been  spoken  of  in  connection  with  the  Wor- 
cester works,  engraved  for  Caughley  as  well,  for  his 
name,  signed  in  full,  appears  on  some  of  their 
patterns. 

Coalport  bought  up  Caughley  about  1799,  and  ran 
both  factories  until  1814.  Swansea,  Nantgarw  and 
Jackfield  were  bought  in  1820,  six  years  after  Caughley 
works  had  been  closed.  All  the  materials  and  moulds 
were  moved  to  Coalport,  and  in  182I  the  Caughley 
works  were  pulled  down,  largely  on  account  of  the 
lack  of  coal  in  that  region.  At  Coalport  many  marks 
were  used  which  had  hitherto  belonged  to  separate 
factories,  so  there  is  great  confusion. 

About  1800  some  pieces  were  marked  simply  Coal- 
port. Besides  the  confusion  incident  to  so  many 
factories  being  purchased  and  run  by  one  man,  good 
counterfeits  of  Dresden,  Chelsea,  Sevres  and  other 
w^ares  were  made,  in  which  the  marks  also  were 
counterfeited.  The  French  grounds  were  used,  and 
the  Sevres  rose  was  a  favourite  pattern  they  copied. 
These  copies  are  called  counterfeits  because  they  were 
made  with  the  avowed  purpose  of  deceiving  would-be 
purchasers.  A  fine  object  reproduced,  with  marks  show- 
ing  when  and  where  made,  is  quite  legitimate;  but 
where  wares  are  copied,  marks  and  all,  and  sold  as 
genuine,    then    fraud    is    attempted    and    that  article 


i64  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

is  a  counterfeit.  There  is  one  country  where  this 
rule  does  not  prevail,  and  that  is  Japan.  They  feel 
very  differently  with  regard  to  the  matter  there,  and 
think  a  successful  reproduction  of  a  master's  work, 
marks  and  all,  but  a  tribute  to  that  master's  ex- 
cellence. It  is  therefore  not  permissible  to  deface  it 
by  the  mark  of  the  copyist,  who  merges  his  identity 
in  the  work  of  the  original  artist.  This  is  freely 
admitted  by  workers  in  Japan,  and  the  code  holds 
good  in  many  branches  of  art. 

There  is  one  potter  whose  claim  to  recognition  rests 
on  the  excellence  of  his  work  in  that  comparatively 
humble  branch  of  ceramic  art,  stone  china. 


Mason  s  Ironstone  China, 

At  Lane  Delph,  in  Staffordshire,  was  established,  in 
1797,  a  pottery  by  Miles  Mason,  whose  name  may  be 
found  on  specimens  of  early  wares.  It  was  his  son, 
Charles  James  Mason,  who  perfected  and  patented  in 
181 3  the  ironstone  china,  which  became  so  well  known 
and  popular  in  this  country.  The  paste  was  made  by 
mixing  with  the  clay  pulverized  slag  or  the  scoria  of 
ironstones.  They  also  made  soft  paste  porcelain  in 
small  quantities,  and  did  a  large  and  flourishing  busi- 
ness. In  their  ironstone  they  made  vases  and  pitchers 
with  relief  ornaments  decorated  in  colours.  They 
were  quite  celebrated  for  a  rich  shade  in  blue,  com- 
bined with  red  and  a  small  amount  of  other  colours, 
which  gave  a  very  rich  colouring.  See  FiG.  1 12.  They 
mingled  printing  and  painting  in  a  very  effective  man- 
ner, and  the  designs  were  Chinese,   with  landscapes 


FNGLISH    PORCELAIN    AND    POTTERY.    165 

and  figures,  or  conventional  patterns  touched  up  with 
gold.  One  of  their  famous  patterns  was  called  "  Ban- 
dana." 

An  early  mark  was  the  name  "  Miles  Mason  "  in  full. 
Later  it  was  simply  "  M.  Mason,"  and,  from  i8i3to 
1 85 1,  when  the  business  passed  out  of  Mason's  hands,  it 
was  marked  "  Mason's  Ironstone  China."    See  FiG  1 13. 

••  A  Collector's  Dream." 

"  A  Dresden  shepherdess  was,  one  day. 
Milking  a  small  Delft  cow, 
When  a  Sevres  marquis  came  along — 
I  saw  him  smile  and  bow; 
'  O  lovely  shepherdess,  hear  my  song' 
I  think  I  heard  him  say, 
'  For  thou  hast  captured  my  porcelain  heart. 
And  by  my  sword  I  swear  thou  art, 
A  star  in  the  milky  wayl  " 

G.  S.  Hellman. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

BASALTES,  LUSTRES,   WHITE  WARE,   ETC. 

For  a  collector  with  an  eye  to  the  beautiful,  who 
is  looking  about  for  something  odd,  rather  difficult  to 
obtain  but  always  satisfactory,  I  should  recommend 
the  acquisition  of  a  few  choice  specimens  of  black 
ware  or  basaltes.  There  is  one  point  in  particular 
which  makes  this  ware  valuable  for  the  novice :  it  has 
never  been  reproduced,  and  when  you  find  a  piece  you 
can  be  quite  sure  you  have  an  antique.  It  is  a  fact, 
to  be  sure,  that  by  far  the  greater  number  of  speci- 
mens are  unmarked,  and  that  cotemporary  potters 
used  one  another's  models  and  copied  patterns  freely. 
You  can  learn  quite  easily  to  distinguish  good  work 
from  bad,  and  the  fineness  of  finish,  and  delicacy  of 
cutting  show  for  themselves. 

Basaltes  was  one  of  the  earliest  products  of  the  Eng- 
lish potter's  art — indeed  its  manufacture  goes  back  to 
Roman  days,  when  it  was  one  of  their  specialties,  and 
during  the  Middle  Ages  there  was  much  black  ware 
used  both  in  utensils  and  for  tiling.  The  Elers  were 
among  the  first  of  the  Staffordshire  potters  who 
turned  their  attention  to  improving  this  ware.  They 
were  said  to  use  red  clay  and  ironstone  only.  Wedg- 
wood's ware  was  more  complicated  and  vastly  superior, 
and  his  Egyptian  black,  ultimately  called  basaltes, 
was  made  from  native  clay,  ground  ironstone,  ochre 
and  oxide  of  manganese.     The  ochre  was  obtained 


BASALTES,    LUSTRES,    WHITE    WARE.    167 

from  the  deposit  of  oxide  of  iron  found  in  coal 
mines. 

Wedgwood  calls  his  basaltes  a  porcelain,  equal  in 
hardness  to  agate  or  porphyry  and  resisting  the 
attacks  of  an  acid.  No  potter  ever  quite  succeeded  in 
rivalling  Wedgwood  in  the  manufacture  of  this  body, 
but  Palmer  &  Neale  and  Adams  produced  beautiful 
ware. 

This  basaltes  comes  in  two  shades,  so  to  speak :  dull 
and  slightly  shining.  The  fine  polish  was  usually  ob- 
tained by  use  of  the  lathe,  though  some  potters  used 
a  varnish  which  was  burned  in  at  a  red  heat.  The  dead 
black  pieces  belong  to  a  later  period  than  the  shining 
ones,  and  were  more  admired,  Sir  William  Hamilton, 
Lord  Warwick  and  other  connoisseurs  of  that  time 
giving  their  verdict  in  favour  of  the  dull  ware.  Busts, 
medallions,  vases  and  the  choicest  service  pieces  were 
unpolished,  as  was  the  body  of  those  vases  which  were 
decorated  in  colours. 

From  1770  on  this  ware  gained  great  favour,  and 
the  demand  was  fairly  larger  than  could  be  easily  sup- 
plied. The  skilled  workmen  were  given  vases,  statu- 
ettes, busts,  medallions  and  intaglios  to  model,  while 
the  less  skillful  turned  out  tea-sets,  lamps,  tripods  and 
jugs  in  endless  variety.  They  struggled  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  a  rising  market,  in  a  manner  not  very 
different  from  that  of  the  tradesmen  of  a  hundred 
years  later.  The  figure  pieces  are  extremely  rare  in 
this  country,  but  sometimes  they  were  from  twenty  to 
twenty-five  inches  high.  Smaller  groups  were  mod- 
elled by  special  artists  and  designed  with  great  care,  as 
were  the  vases,  which  were  of  elegance  and  beauty. 

A  vase  is  not  often  found  out  of  a  museum  in  this 


i68  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

country,  but  I  have  seen  a  variety  of  teapots,  cream- 
ers, sugar-bowls  and  medallions,  all  found  in  the  mid- 
dle and  southern  states,  some  of  which  are  illustrated 
here.  By  far  the  larger  part  are  unmarked,  but  I 
know  one  small  round  teapot,  marked  "  Birch,"  which 
has  its  duplicate  in  the  British  Museum.  Potters  had 
a  curious  fashion  for  marking  the  teapot  only  with 
their  name ;  so  that  when  the  pieces  were  scattered,  as 
followed  in  due  time,  the  creamers,  sugar-boxes  and 
bowls  were  nameless.  Of  the  Staffordshire  ware  it 
was  generally  the  sugar-boxes  which  were  marked,  a 
curious  vagary,  surely,  to  mark  one  kind  of  ware  one 
way,  and  a  second  ware  another  way. 

This  teapot  marked  "  Birch  "  was  found  in  London 
and  bought  for  a  very  small  sum  by  one  of  the  brother- 
hood, who  was  rummaging  through  a  junk  shop  for 
"  finds,"  after  the  fashion  of  his  kind. 

Fig.  114  shows  an  interesting  group.  None  of  the 
pieces  is  marked,  but  the  middle  pitcher  was  made  by 
Elijah  Mayer,  or  E.  Mayer  and  Sons,  who  were  pot- 
ters at  Hanley  from  1770  to  1830.  On  the  side  we 
show  is  a  portrait  medallion  of  George,  Prince  of 
Wales,  when  he  was  made  Prince  Regent  in  181 1. 
He  succeeded  to  the  throne  of  England,  as  George  IV, 
in  1820.  The  Prince's  feather  encircles  the  medal- 
lion, and  above  it  is  a  very  handsome  lace  pattern, 
while  the  handle  is  decorated  with  a  beading.  An 
equally  fine  portrait  of  the  Duke  of  York  is  on  the 
other  side.  The  Elijah  Mayer  works  made  a  great 
deal  of  this  black  ware,  which  was  notable  for  the 
events  it  celebrated.  The  marked  pieces  all  have  a 
high  value. 

Recently  I  saw  a  sugar-bowl  of  this  basaltes,  made 


Fig.  113.     HERCULAXEUM  PORCELAIN.     Second  period. 


Fig.  1.4.     BLACK  BASALTES. 


Fig.  115.     NELSON    TEAPOT.     Black  basaltes. 


F.g.  ii6.     QUEEN  ANNE  TEA-SET.     Silver  lustre. 


BASALTES,    LUSTRES,    WHITE    WARE.    169 

by  Mayer  and  having  on  one  side  a  bust  of  Wellington 
being  crowned  by  Britannia,  with  Fame  blowing  a 
trumpet.  On  the  other  side  is  the  inscription  :  "  India, 
Portugal,  Spain,  Vittoria,2ist  June,  1813."  This  bowl, 
in  perfect  condition,  with  cover  and  handles,  sold  for 
forty  dollars. 

The  teapot  and  other  creamer  in  FiG.  1 14  are  notice- 
able for  the  excellence  of  their  decoration  and  the 
beauty  of  their  shape.  They  both— but  the  creamer  in 
particular — tend  to  that  ovoid  form  which  Wedgwood 
declared  was  the  most  beautiful  for  this  style  of  ob- 
jects and  for  vases.  The  groups  of  figures  are  elegant, 
and  the  photograph  does  not  do  justice  to  the  cutting. 
The  side  shown  has  a  classic  group,  vestal  virgins  at 
an  altar  preparing  to  sacrifice  a  lamb.  On  the  reverse 
side  are  maidens  representing  History  and  Fame 
crowning  the  bust  of  Cicero  with  a  laurel  wreath.  On 
the  base  of  the  teapot  is  basket  work ;  on  the  creamer 
an  incised  leaf-like  pattern.  The  knob  of  the  teapot 
has  the  seated  veiled  figure  used  by  so  many  potters, 
but  always  agreeable. 

The  best  class  of  this  black  basaltes  was  made  by 
applying  the  figures  which  were  cast  in  moulds  after 
the  body  of  the  piece  was  formed.  Then  they  were 
fired  and  the  outlines  of  the  figures  sharpened,  all  the 
rough  edges  cut  off,  and  every  detail  carefully  at- 
tended to.  Of  such  workmanship  were  all  the  best 
pieces,  and  the  pieces  shown  in  FiG.  114  come  under 
this  head.  The  other  method  was  to  pour  the  basaltes 
in  the  form  of  "slip"  into  a  mould,  and  let  it  set. 
These  pieces  are  thinner  than  those  made  the  other 
way,  less  artistic  and  less  regular  in  shape.  Such  a 
piece  is  shown  in  FiG.   115,  yet  it  is  intrinsically  more 


170  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

valuable  than  the  others.  It  is  one  of  Mayer's  pieces^ 
celebrating  Nelson's  victories.  The  center  medallion 
is  a  shell,  and  in  the  shell  are  three  figures,  one  plac- 
ing on  a  tomb  a  wreath  marked  "  Nelson."  On  the 
tomb  is  the  word  "  Trafalgar."  On  the  other  side,  in 
a  similar  shell-shaped  medallion,  is  the  palace  of  St. 
James,  and  in  the  distance  the  Pyramids,  showing  the 
hero's  progress  and  commemorating  his  prowess.  Nel- 
son died  in  1805,  so  this  piece  was  made  after  that 
date,  probably  while  the  glorious  victories  were  still  in 
everybody's  mind.  These  historic  black  basaltes  are 
very  rare,  and  always  difificult  to  find.  Only  three 
such  pieces  have  come  under  my  notice. 

Tablets  of  basaltes,  with  exquisite  designs,  were  set 
in  furniture,  or  inserted  in  chimney  pieces.  The  first 
produced  were  found  to  be  too  small  to  be  effective 
for  use  in  this  latter  manner,  but  after  much  experi- 
menting they  were  made  as  long  as  twenty-three  by 
nine  and  one-half  inches.  The  early  ones  were  in  very 
high  relief,  but  as  skill  increased  the  relief  was  low- 
ered, still  maintaining  the  artistic  elegance  and  deli- 
cacy for  which  they  were  so  noted. 

Many  small  pieces  for  toilet  articles,  pots  for  oint- 
ments, articles  for  writing  tables  and  cabinet  speci- 
mens were  made,  and  it  is  matter  of  record  that  some 
of  these  were  despatched  to  America.  From  the  stout 
nature  of  the  ware  they  ought  still  to  be  in  existence, 
if  one  only  knew  where. 

Names  of  some  of  the  potters  who  made  basaltes 
before  1800  and  after  are  : 

E.  Mayer  &  Son,  Palmer  &  Neale,  Thomas  Wheil- 
don,  Lakin  &  Poole,  Eastwood,  John  Turner,  E,  J. 
Birch,  Joseph  Twyford,    Charles  Green,    H.    Palmer, 


BASALTES,    LUSTRES,    WHITE    WARE.     171 

of  Hanley,  Josiah  Spode,  David  Dunderdale  of  Castle- 
ford. 

Lustre  Wares* 

The  term  lustre,  as  collectors  in  this  country  gener- 
ally apply  it,  refers  to  metallic-looking  wares  of  Eng- 
lish manufacture.  Scarce  as  genuine  pieces  of  this 
pottery  are  becoming,  and  fine  as  much  of  it  undoubt- 
edly is,  it  holds  no  more  comparison  to  the  old  Italian 
and  Spanish  lustre  wares  than  a  tallow  dip  does  to  the 
moon. 

To  the  Saracens  were  the  Italians  indebted  for  the 
freedom  and  luxury  of  the  styles  they  copied,  for  the 
use  of  colour  without  stint  and  for  the  beauty  of  the 
lustre  which  they  copied  from  the  Eastern  artists. 
The  most  famous  lustres  emanating  from  Italy  come 
from  the  city  of  Gubbio.  The  master  artist  there  was 
Georgio  Andreoli,  and  his  fame  rests  on  his  ruby 
lustre,  brilliant  and  gleaming  like  a  polished  gem  and 
shading  from  ruby  to  claret ;  on  the  silver,  with  the 
effects  of  moonlight  on  water;  on  the  gold  and  golden 
shades  and  on  the  green,  rarest  and  most  jewel-like  of 
all.  Georgio's  signed  works  date  from  iSiQto  IS37. 
but  he  is  supposed  to  have  died  in  1552. 

From  1560  to  1570  the  art  of  making  lustre  declined, 
and  disappeared.  It  has  been  sought  in  modern 
times,  with  what  success  we  all  know. 

The  Hispano-Moresque  pottery  antedates  that  of 
Gubbio,  the  beginning  of  this  lustre  ware  being  about 
1320.  Gold  or  copper  with  a  paler  yellow  lustre 
decorates  the  earlier  specimens,  while  the  deeper  cop- 
per lustres  are  assigned  to  the  latter  part  of  the  four- 


172  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

teenth  century  and  from  that  time  on  until  the  begin- 
ning of  the  seventeenth  century.  These  ancient 
lustred  pieces  were  ornamented,  not  covered,  with  the 
lustre  as  are  the  specimens  of  more  modern  times. 

The  characteristics  of  Hispano-Moresque  are  not 
only  the  metallic  lustre  with  which  it  is  overlaid,  but 
the  beauty  of  form  of  the  objects,  which  has  acquired 
for  them  the  name  of  "  gilded  works."  This  pottery  was 
sent  to  every  quarter  of  the  globe,  and  these  lustres 
had  a  large  share  in  furnishing  models  for  the  dawning 
industries  of  many  lands.  Barcelona  and  Valencia,  as 
early  as  1546,  were  rivals  in  the  manufacture  of  faience, 
and  the  modern  lustre  ware  of  Barcelona  in  ruby  tints 
is  very  beautiful  and  decorative.  Even  now,  occasion- 
ally, pieces  of  this  old  ruby  lustre  come  into  the 
market,  after  years  of  seclusion  in  collectors'  cabinets, 
and  every  bit  is  of  almost  priceless  value.  A  dish  sold 
in  London  in  June,  1902,  for  seventy-nine  pounds  six- 
teen shillings,  about  four  hundred  dollars.  In  addition 
to  its  beauty  this  dish  was  further  noteworthy  for  hav- 
ing been  mentioned  in  Macaulay's  "  History  of  Eng- 
land "  as  figuring  at  the  dinner  given  to  Lord  Faver- 
sham  by  the  Bridges  of  Weston  Zoyland,  Bridgewater, 
previous  to  Monmouth's  defeat.  It  has  always 
remained  in  the  family  until  the  present  sale. 

Among  the  modern  lustre  the  silver-tinted  comes 
first  in  point  of  rarity,  though  the  rose-spotted  Sun- 
derland lustre,  shown  in  FiG.  96,  is  a  close  second  and 
brings  perhaps  a  larger  price.  There  is  a  Sunderland 
pitcher  on  sale,  like  the  larger  one  in  the  picture,  which 
is  valued  at  one  hundred  dollars.  It  is  absolutely  per- 
fect and  has  the  original  owner's  name  painted  on  the 
front. 


BASALTES,    LUSTRES,    WHITE    WARE.    173 

Even  in  England,  silver  lustre,  once  so  largely 
manufactured,  is  now  exceedingly  scarce.  It  has  been 
superseded  by  a  cheaper  process  giving  more  durable 
results.  Dealers  and  collectors  hunt  for  choice  speci- 
mens in  vain,  while  the  prices  paid  for  good  pieces  are 
such  that  the  original  makers  would  be  astounded. 
See  Fig.  116. 

The  body  of  this  pottery  is  earthenware,  either 
brown  or  white,  and  is  covered  with  a  solution  of  plat- 
inum. This  mineral  was  discovered  in  1741  and  was 
used  by  the  Staffordshire  potters  and  still  more  largely 
at  the  pot-works  at  Preston  Pans.  Silver  lustre 
originally  was  but  a  cheap  and  glittering  imitation  of 
silver,  and  the  very  early  specimens  were  lustred 
inside  as  well  as  out,  to  carry  the  deception  to  its 
extreme  limit.  I  have  never  seen  any  specimens  so 
treated  except  mugs  and  bowls  and  the  tea-set  shown. 
After  the  ware  became  more  common  and  nobody 
was  longer  deceived,  the  potters  confined  its  use  to 
the  exterior  of  vessels  and  used  it  in  decorations,  in 
patterns  and  bands,  and  occasionally  in  combination 
with  gold  lustre. 

The  largest  private  collection  of  old  silver  lustre  of 
English  make,  which  I  know,  is  held  in  England,  and 
numbers  one-hundred  and  thirty-eight  specimens. 

The  nearest  approach  to  figures  made  may  be  seen 
in  Fig.  133,  Neptune  modelled  as  a  candlestick  by 
Wedgwood.  Plain  straight  candlesticks,  like  the 
shapes  in  brass,  pewter  and  silver,  are  run  across 
occasionally  and  were  no  doubt  cast  in  old  silver 
moulds,  as  they  followed  the  sterling  patterns  exactly. 

There  are  also  found  tea-pots  and  coffee-pots,  hot- 
water-jugs,    cream-jugs    and     cider-jugs,    sugar-boxes, 


174  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

bowls,  egg-cups,  mugs,  two-handled  cups,  mustard 
pots,  kettles  and  salt-cellars  as  well  as  vases  and  can- 
dlesticks. Some  of  the  jugs  are  very  handsome  in 
shape  and  large  enough  to  hold  three  pints.  The 
fluted  or  ribbed  tea-sets  in  Queen  Anne's  style  are 
eagerly  sought  at  large  prices. 

In  1838  electro  plating  was  invented,  and  from  this 
time  on  the  manufacture  of  silver  lustre  decreased  and 
finally  ceased  between  1850  and  i860.  In  FiG.  116 
is  given  one  of  the  fluted  Queen  Anne  sets  already 
mentioned.  It  is  perfect,  and  the  extra  teapot  be- 
longed to  a  similar  set  of  slightly  different  pattern. 
It  stands  in  one  of  the  trays  fashionable  at  that  period 
and  belongs  to  the  collection  in  the  Concord  Anti- 
quarian Society. 

Fig.  117  shows  what  must  have  been  the  last  uses 
to  which  silver  lustre  was  put,  for  a  china  merchant 
who  has  been  long  in  the  business  tells  me  he  sold 
similar  pieces  about  i860  and  worked  them  off  as 
best  he  could,  for  they  were  "  old  stock."  The  cake 
basket  in  the  centre  is  very  ornamental.  It  is  nine 
inches  high  and  eleven  inches  across  the  top.  The  body 
of  the  ware  is  grey  pottery,  and  the  lines  on  the  base, 
the  leaves  and  the  stem  which  wreathe  the  top  are 
of  the  lustre,  and  the  pendent  bunches  of  grapes  are 
covered  with  brown  enamel.  Exactly  such  a  piece  is 
the  choicest  ornament  of  the  English  collection  already 
mentioned,  and  no  doubt  there  are  many  tucked  away 
in  cupboards  here,  which  the  owners  would  bring  out 
did  they  know  how  highly  such  pieces  were  esteemed. 
The  vases  are  of  the  same  grey  body,  the  ornamenta- 
tion being  in  the  lustre,  and  on  each  side  is  a  charming 
dancing  figure    modelled  in  low  relief.     These  three 


Fii:    MT.     SII.VKR   irslKE(    \KI'    H  \sKET  AND  VASKS. 


Fig.  ii8.     GROUP  OF  LUSTRE  JUGS. 


FiK.  II...     LUSTRE  MUG  AND  GOBLETS. 


Fig.  I20.     GROUP  OK  LUSTRE  JUGS. 


BASALTES,    LUSTRES,    WHITE    WARE.    175 

pieces  are  absolutely  perfect  and  were  rescued  not 
long  since  from  a  hamlet  many  miles  from  the  railroad, 
but  where  enough  china  lore  had  penetrated  to  make 
the  owner  know  she  had  a  "  good  thing  "  and  demand 
a  stiff  price.  The  handsomest  piece  of  silver  lustre 
which  ever  came  under  my  notice  is  the  large  jug 
shown  in  FiG.  118.  It  will  hold  a  couple  of  quarts,  is 
absolutely  perfect,  and  after  a  more  or  less  eventful 
career  is  passing  an  honoured  old  age  in  the  posses- 
sion of  a  descendant  of  its  original  owner.  He  speaks 
with  great  reverence  of  "  Great  Aunt  Thankful's  jug," 
and  relates  with  unction  how  he  finally  became 
possessed  of  it,  arriving  at  the  vendue  where  a  less 
reverent  relative  had  put  it  up  at  auction,  just  too  late 
to  bid  it  in,  but  at  last  got  it  away  from  its  purchaser 
upon  the  payment  of  ten  dollars.  It  is  beautiful  in 
everyway;  the  shape  is  nice,  somewhat  fluted,  and  the 
lustre  is  flawless,  rather  unusual  in  so  large  a  piece. 
When  so  much  lustre  was  made  and  despatched  to  us 
it  seems  strange  how  it  has  disappeared  in  a  compara- 
tively short  time.  Most  potters  made  lustre  ware,  and 
if  one  had  a  list  of  those  who  at  one  time  or  another 
put  it  on  the  market  it  would  embrace  almost  every 
well-known  English  potter's  name. 

While  the  silver  lustre  was  originally  made  as  a 
sham,  the  sturdy  copper  and  gold  lustre  stood  on  its 
own  feet  from  the  first.  It  is  claimed  by  the  sup- 
porters of  Wedgwood  that  he  first  made  the  copper 
and  gold  lustred  wares  in  1776,  from  a  receipt  given 
him  by  Doctor  Fothergill.  The  first  idea  was  to  ap- 
ply it  only  to  frames,  but  it  proved  so  unexpectedly  or- 
namental that  numberless  beautiful  articles  were  made. 
The  gold    lustre    was   exceptionally  fine,  and    honey 


176  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

cups  of  simple  but  beautiful  form  became  very  popu- 
lar. The  lustre  jugs  come  in  every  size,  from  the  tiny 
ones  holding  but  a  couple  of  spoonfuls — mere  toys — 
to  the  great  ones,  for  tavern  use,  holding  a  gallon  or 
more.  Those  shown  in  the  photograph  with  Great 
Aunt  Thankful's  jug,  are  all  of  a  deep  copper  shade 
and  were  gathered  from  many  different  places,  yet  are 
presumably  of  the  same  period;  as  the  shapes  of  the 
handles  of  all,  save  the  smallest,  are  alike.  None  are 
marked  ;  little  of  this  ware  is.  They  all  have  different 
styles  of  decoration,  and  the  choicest  is  the  one  with 
the  white  star-like  flower  and  the  line  of  bead  work  on 
the  handle.  They  are  all  on  dark  pottery  body,  as  is 
common,  but  the  oldest  one  I  ever  came  across  was  a 
child's  toy  of  a  deep  cream-coloured  pottery,  with 
lovely,  rose  lustred  bands  encircling  the  body.  It  be- 
longed to  an  old  lady,  over  eighty  years  of  age,  who 
had  taken  it  with  her  in  all  her  various  movings.  It 
was  one  of  the  few  toys  she  had  as  a  little  girl  in  a 
remote  Vermont  village,  and  was  brought  to  this 
country  from  England  some  years  before  she  was 
born.  It  has  suffered  somewhat  but  is  carefully 
mended  and  presents  an  unscarred  front  to  the  world. 
The  largest  of  these  lustre  pitchers  were  set  down 
in  manufacterers'  pattern  books  and  in  old  inventor- 
ies as  cider-pitchers,  and  goblets  came  with  them 
similar  in  pattern  to  the  pitchers.  In  FiG.  119  is 
shown  such  a  pair  of  goblets  and  a  mug,  the  exact 
counterpart  of  which,  in  colour,  size  and  decoration,  is 
at  Mount  Vernon  and  is  said  to  be  the  one  Washing- 
ton used  daily  for  shaving.  While  numbers  of  these 
"  cyder  jugs "  were  in  use  in  private  families,  the 
largest  ones  were  used  at  the  taverns,  which  occupied 


BASALTES,    LUSTRES,    WHITE    WARE.     177 

a  prominence  in  rural  life  that  is  quite  done  away  with 
to-day.  Besides  the  transient  guest,  the  single  men  of 
the  town  took  their  meals  at  them,  and  certain  locali- 
ties were  famous  for  certain  mixtures  which  were  gen- 
erally compounded  in  these  great  jugs.  At  the 
taverns  where  the  stage  coaches  stopped  there  would 
be  dozens  of  these  pitchers  in  use,  and  "  calibogus," 
"  mimbo,"  "  spiced  ale  "  and  "  flip  "  were  some  of  the 
savoury  condiments  served  in  them. 

Flip,  especially  dear  to  Yankees'  stomachs,  was  used 
all  over  the  country  and  was  mixed  in  many  ways, 
but  a  favourite  recipe  ran  as  follows:  "  Mix  together 
a  pint  of  cream,  four  eggs  and  four  pounds  of  sugar. 
This  is  to  be  kept  on  hand.  To  every  quart  of  bitter 
beer  add  four  great  spoonsful  of  the  sugar  and  cream 
compound  and  thrust  in  the  red  hot  loggerhead." 
This  imparted  the  burnt  taste  so  highly  esteemed. 
This  recipe  made  a  very  temperate  variety  of  the 
drink.  The  usual  receipt  called  for  a  gill  of  rum. 
•'  Metheglin  "  was  made  from  the  honey  of  the  wild 
bee,  but  this  was  a  summer  beverage.  Rum,  or  "  Kill- 
devil  "  as  it  was  known  at  the  time,  was  the  almost 
universal  drink.  One  old  New  Englander,  however, 
wrote  from  Philadelphia :  "  Whiskey  is  used  here  in- 
stead of  rum  but  I  can  not  see  but  it  is  just  as  good." 
Indeed,  so  potent  were  the  drinks  served  in  some  of 
these  innocent  looking  jugs,  that  a  statute  was  passed 
in  Massachusetts  which  forbade  the  selling  of  rum  to 
drunkards,  and  an  official  was  on  duty  at  the  tavern  to 
determine  when  a  man  was  drunk  enough.  It  causes 
a  smile  to  read,  that,  in  early  colonial  days,  the  sale  of 
strong  water  was  forbidden  to  the  Indians,  but  a  later 
generation  decided  "  that  it  was  not  fitting  to  deprive 


178  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

the  Indians  of  any  lawful  comfort  "  and  repealed  the 
statute. 

Mulled  cider  was  thought  a  not  unhealthful  drink 
for  children,  and  many  men  commenced  the  day  by 
drinking  a  quart  of  hard  cider  before  breakfast,  a  sort 
of  eye-opener,  as  it  were.  It  must  have  been  an  unusu- 
ally  temperate  man  who  boasted,  **  a  sup  of  New 
England's  air  is  better  than  a  whole  draught  of  old 
England's  ale."  Many  people  are  collecting  lustre 
jugs,  some  fortunate  ones  with  china  luck  getting 
hold  of  thirty  or  forty  pieces.  The  price  is  constantly 
rising.  A  good  jug  five  or  six  inches  high  is  easily 
worth  five  dollars,  while  a  really  fine  one,  with  raised 
flowers  coloured  from  nature,  is  worth  several  dollars 
more. 

A  fair  enthusiast  had  a  struggle  with  her  conscience 
and  the  desire  for  a  lustre  jug,  which  was  keen  while 
it  lasted.  She  was  stranded  for  an  hour  or  two  by 
some  exigency  of  travel  in  a  small  town  in  New  Eng- 
land and,  as  the  station  was  desolate  and  uncomfort- 
able, betook  herself  to  walk.  Her  travels  led  her  to 
the  graveyard,  which  seemed  to  her  youthful  eyes  un- 
usually melancholy,  and  she  was  attracted  to  one 
grave  which  had  at  least  a  semblance  of  care,  and  was 
adorned  by  a  bunch  of  flowers.  The  blossoms  were 
so  fresh  that  our  friend  pushed  aside  some  of  the 
spreading  leaves,  to  see  if  they  were  in  water,  and  then 
beheld  that  the  vessel  containing  them  was  a  lustre 
pitcher,  in  good  condition,  and  with  a  band  of  pale  blue 
on  which  were  bunches  of  flowers  touched  in  by  hand. 
It  seemed,  so  she  confessed  afterwards,  that  she  must 
have  that  pitcher,  and,  as  fair  exchange  is  sanctioned, 
she  removed    the  flowers,  laid   a  silver  dollar  beside 


BASALTES,    LUSTRES,   WHITE    WARE.    179 

them  and  started  station-wards  with  her  prize.  She 
got  no  farther  than  the  gate  of  the  graveyard  ;  for  a 
hand  clutched  her  (only  a  metaphorical  hand),  and  she 
hurried  back  and  replaced  the  pitcher,  unable  "  to  rob 
a  lonely  grave."  There  was  no  time  to  find  the  own- 
er of  the  pitcher  then,  and  a  lengthy  correspondence, 
conducted  through  the  village  postmaster,  brought  no 
result.  The  "  owner  did  not  care  to  part  with  it ;  it 
was  handy  for  flowers  " — a  rebuff  which  often  meets 
the  collector  who  unexpectedly  comes  on  a  find.  I 
have  in  my  own  mind  a  copper  lustre  jug,  six  inches 
high,  with  an  ivy  wreath  on  it  in  a  lovely  shade  of 
green.  The  owner  is  not  a  collector,  does  not  care 
for  the  jug,  yet  cannot  be  induced  to  sell  or  exchange 
it,  and  there  it  is,  at  this  moment,  on  a  kitchen  pantry 
shelf,  holding  molasses,  with  a  little  saucer  over  the 
top,  subjected  to  the  cook's  unlover-like  handling 
when  she  is  making  gingerbread.  The  owner  only 
sees  it  when  she  makes  periodical  visits  to  the  pantry, 
and  will  not  let  it  go  because  she  "  always  remembers 
that  pitcher  held  molasses."  Such  people  as  these  are 
the  despair  of  collectors.     FiG.  120. 

There  are  copper  lustre  jugs  with  bands  of  brilliant 
yellow  and  figures  or  flowers  on  them  in  colours,  either 
printed  or  painted.  Very  beautiful  pieces  were  made 
at  Longton  by  Thomas  Barlow.  Such  as  these  are 
marked  with  an  impressed  "B."  Indeed  Longton  seems 
to  have  been  a  great  centre  for  lustre  ware,  both  the 
High-street  works  and  Park  works  turning  out  silver 
and  copper  pieces.  Gold  lustre  was  used  for  decora- 
tive purpose  at  the  Gold-street  works,  which  were  also 
at  Longton,  and  sometimes  tea-sets  of  this  gold  shade, 
looking  very  new,  may  be  found  in  this  country.     One 


i8o  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

of  the  unpleasant  things  about  all  lustre,  except  silver 
and  rose  spotted,  is  the  fact  that  the  old  shapes  and 
designs  have  in  many  cases  been  reproduced.  But 
one  who  handles  china  can  be  almost  sure  to  detect 
the  new.  In  the  first  place  it  is  perfect,  and  shows  no 
marks  of  wear  on  the  base,  where,  in  old  pieces,  the 
lustre  is  generally  worn  off.  The  shade  is  brighter 
and  has  not  the  depth  and  richness  of  the  old  ware, 
and  it  seems  to  have  a  glassy  glaze  which  is  not  found 
on  the  old.  A  search  through  the  china  houses  of 
New  York  and  Boston  failed  to  reveal  a  single  bit  of 
modern  lustre  ware  in  any  form  whatever.  The  deal- 
ers  said  there  was  no  call  for  it,  and  they  had  ceased 
importing  it.  Finally  a  piece  was  secured  in  Canada, 
wliere  it  is  said  much  may  be  obtained,  and  the  dif- 
ferences are  quite  marked  between  the  old  and  new, 
particularly  in  weight. 

An  extremely  choice  and  valuable  piece  of  old  cop- 
per lustre  is  shown  in  FiGS.  121  and  122.  It  is  called 
the  Cornwallis  jug  and  comes  under  the  head  of  his- 
toric. On  one  side  is  shown  the  surrender  of  Corn- 
wallis, and  though  we  have  seen  that  the  English  pot- 
ter was  not  very  sensitive  when  he  came  to  depicting 
our  victories,  yet  in  this  case  he  endeavored  to  smooth 
matters  over  when  he  put  on  the  inscription.  It 
reads,  "  Cornwallis  resigning  his  sword  at  Yorktown, 
Oct.  17,  1 78 1."  Surrendering  was  an  unpalatable  word. 
On  the  other  side  is  a  portrait  of  Lafayette  with  a 
laurel  crown  held  above  his  head  by  two  figures,  repre- 
senting, no  doubt,  Victory  and  Fame. 

All  these  Cornwallis  jugs  are  fine  and  hard  to  get. 
This  one,  in  addition  to  the  historical  interest  connected 
with  it,  has  a  personal  history  which  makes  it  doubly 


Fig.  121.     CORNWALLIS  JUG. 


lVJ&$ 


Fig.  122.     L.AFAYETTE.     Reverse  side  of  Cornvvallisj'tg. 


Fig.  123.     CUPS  AND  SAUCERS,  LUSTRE  DECORATION. 


Fig.  124.     CASTLEFORD  TEAPOT. 


BASALTES,    LUSTRES,    WHITE    WARE.     i8i 

valuable.  It  is  one  of  a  pair  brought  from  England, 
soon  after  the  Revolutionary  War  by  a  Mr.  Dangerfield 
of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia,  who  was  an  ofificer  in  our 
army.  The  pair  of  jugs  remained  in  his  family  for  three 
generations  and  have  just  been  sold  ;  the  one  shown 
going  to  grace  a  collection  of  one  hundred  and  forty 
jugs  held  in  Virginia,  and  the  other  one  being  given  to 
the  Virginia  room  at  Mt.  Vernon  as  a  present  from 
the  school  children  of  Virginia. 

It  is  just  as  well  to  remember  that  on  the  occasion 
pictured  on  the  jug  Lord  Cornwallis  was  not  present; 
he  feigned  illness  and  caused  General  O'Hara  to 
deliver  the  sword  to  Washington,  who  deputed  Gen- 
eral Lincoln  to  receive  it.  In  every  way  these  jugs 
are  admirable — shape,  proportion,  colour  and  decora- 
tion. They  are  far  in  advance,  in  a  certain  noble  sim- 
plicity, of  many  of  the  present  day  shapes,  out  of 
which  it  is  almost  impossible  to  pour  without  spilling 
the  liquid.  These  old-time  jugs,  no  matter  what  their 
size,  have  the  same  large  lip,  and  it  is  as  noticeable  in 
the  lustres  as  in  the  Liverpool  jugs.     FiG.  123. 


Castleford. 


Somewhere  between  the  years  1770  and  1790  a  pot- 
tery was  started  at  the  town  of  Castleford,  twelve 
miles  from  Leeds,  where  white  ware,  known  as  Castle- 
ford ware,  black  ware.  Queen's  ware  and  the  choicer 
kinds  of  pottery  were  made.  The  first  potter  whose 
name  is  connected  with  these  works  was  David  Dun- 
derdale,  who  came  into  possession  of  them  about  1800. 
These  works  were  open,  under  various  managements. 


i82  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

until  about  1820,  when  they  were  closed.  Subse. 
quently  they  came  into  the  hands  of  some  of  the  old 
workmen,  but  the  plain  white  paste  for  which  they 
were  originally  known  seems  to  have  been  discon- 
tinued. 

The  most  familiar  pieces  in  America  are  teapots. 
The  covers  are  sometimes  attached  with  metal  pins; 
occasionally  are  sliding;  but  more  often  have  the  lift- 
ing lid  with  which  we  are  familiar.  The  Castleford 
pieces  are  very  much  like  the  basaltes  in  everything 
but  colour,  some  of  them  being  dead  white,  not  unlike 
parian,  which  was  invented  some  years  later ;  and  some 
have  a  very  slight  gloss  which  was  obtained,  so  it  is 
thought,  by  smearing  the  inside  of  the  fire-clay  box 
where  the  pottery  was  fired  with  the  ordinary  china 
glaze.  This  vaporized  with  the  heat  and  deposited  a 
slight  film  on  the  objects  being  fired.  Castleford 
ware  is  translucent  if  held  to  the  light,  and  is  orna- 
mented with  groups  of  figures — some  of  the  same 
classical  groups  which  have  been  seen  in  basaltes  and 
which  were  original  with  Flaxman  or  Lady  Temple- 
ton  or  some  other  of  Wedgwood's  artists — and  the 
models  were  bought  or  copied  from  Wedgwood's 
pieces.  This  ware  is  seldom  found  with  any  colour 
on  it.  At  most  it  has  only  lines  or  bands  of  blue, 
green  or  brown.  They  made  a  bid  at  these  works  for 
American  custom  by  making  designs  of  Liberty,  the 
Arms  of  the  United  States,  portraits  of  Washington 
and  Franklin,  etc. ;  but  few  of  these  specimens  seem 
to  have  survived,  the  general  run  being  the  classical 
subjects  referred  to  before.  The  same  two  methods 
of  procedure  followed  in  the  manufacture  of  basaltes 
were  lollowed  in  Castleford  ware : — either  the  clay  was 


BASALTES,   LUSTRES,    WHITE    WARE.    183 

pressed  into  moulds — in  which  case  the  piece  is  quite 
thick — or,  in  the  form  of  "  slip,"  poured  into  moulds, 
under  which  treatment  the  teapot,  or  whatever  it 
might  be,  was  considerably  thinner.  An  occasional 
piece  of  Castleford  comes  to  hand  with  the  pitted 
surface  which  we  ascribe  to  the  method  of  salt  glaz- 
ing;  but  this  was  caused  by  having  tho  inside  of  the 
mould  lined  with  tiny  points  which  left  corresponding 
depressions  in  the  surface. 

In  Fig.  124  is  given  a  very  beautiful  specimen  of 
this  ware.  The  teapot  is  not  uncommon  in  style,  but 
the  body  of  it  shows  the  pitted  background,  and  the 
floral  design  is  in  very  high  relief  and  beautifully 
finished.  So  also  is  the  little  border  of  ferns  at  the 
base  and  about  the  cover.  The  knob  is  a  daisy,  a 
flower  much  used  in  this  ware.  This  piece  has  faint 
bands  of  colour  on  the  edge  of  the  handle,  at  the  base, 
above  the  floral  band  and  on  the  cover.  The  elegance 
of  such  a  tea-pot  speaks  for  itself.  It  is  generally 
supposed  that  some  of  the  pierced,  printed  or  painted 
ware  which  we  call  Leeds  was  made  also  at  Castle, 
ford.  The  so-called  Castleford,  however,  is  the  white 
ware.  Very  few  pieces  are  marked,  but  when  they  are 
it  is  with  the  letters  "  D.  D.  &  Co. :  Castleford."  Two 
long  lines  crossing  each  other  in  raised  slip  and  the 
number  "22,"  impressed,  were  also  said  to  be  the 
marks  of  this  pottery,  but  by  far  the  larger  proportion 
of  pieces  is  left  unmarked. 

Two  or  three  specimens  of  this  white  ware  amid  a 
collection  of  basaltes  make  a  very  ornamental  shelf  in 
a  corner  cupboard.  Indeed  a  black  basaltes  tea-set  or 
a  Castleford,  if  you  can  bring  your  mind  to  think 
that  your  cabinet  treasures  are  not  too  bright  nor  yet 


i84  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

too  good  to  hold  human  nature's  daily  food,  is  a  very 
elegant  addition  to  that  fast  vanishing  but  delightful 
meal,  supper.  With  the  addition  of  some  choice  old 
cups  and  saucers,  brilliant  in  colouring  or  choice  in 
design,  either  the  black  or  the  white  ware  looks  un- 
commonly fine,  a  thousand  times  more  desirable  in 
every  way  than  the  gaudy  silver  which  in  our  day  is 
the  end-all  and  the  be-all  of  every  housekeeper. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

WEDGWOOD   AND   HIS  WARES. 

The  ceramic  art  of  various  countries— France,  Italy, 
Germany,  China,  and  Spain — is  classed  in  different 
epochs  or  periods.  In  each  epoch  there  were  usually 
one  or  two  factories  or  potters  whose  work  was  so 
admirable  that  it  was  difficult  to  award  the  palm 
between  them.  In  England  it  is  different ;  there  is 
one  name  which  expresses  the  greatest  heights  which 
English  pottery  has  ever  reached,  and  that  is,  Wedg- 
wood. In  no  branch  of  art,  learning  or  manufacture 
is  there  a  royal  road.  All  paths  which  lead  to  the 
heights  of  success  are  stony  for  some  part  of  the  way, 
and  it  is  only  by  the  exercise  of  patience,  energy  and 
perseverance  that  the  goal  is  reached.  It  was  by  the 
combination  of  these  three  qualities  that  Josiah  Wedg- 
wood accomplished  the  amount  and  quality  of  the 
work  he  did,  and  built  for  himself,  day  by  day,  an 
enduring  fame.  He  came  from  a  family  whose  mem- 
bers had  long  been  potters  at  Burslem,  and  was  the 
youngest  of  a  family  of  thirteen  children.  He  was 
born  in  August,  1730. 

His  early  education  was  fragmentary,  no  doubt,  as 
there  was  but  one  school  in  Burslem  and  that  a  poor 
one,  and  two  years  after  the  death  of  his  father, 
when  Josiah  was  but  eleven  years  old,  he  was  put  to 
work  in  the  pot  works,  as  a  thrower.  The  will  of  his 
father  provided    that    when    Josiah   came  of   age  he 


i86  THEOLDCHINABOOKo 

should  have  twenty  pounds,  not  a  very  large  capital 
with  which  to  start  in  business,  surely.  But  Josiah 
was  to  learn  his  trade,  and  that  he  did,  being  bound 
as  apprentice  to  his  brother,  for  whom  he  worked  till 
he  was  sixteen  years  old.  Then  he  contracted  the 
smallpox,  "  the  dregs  of  which  disease  settling  in  his 
leg,"  as  Mr.  Gladstone  says,  eventually  necessitated  its 
amputation.  What  would  have  proved  to  most  men 
a  terrible  crippling  was  a  weary  trial  at  first,  but  in 
the  end  one  factor  which  tended  to  make  him  the 
great  man  he  was.  No  longer  able  to  engage  in  the 
arduous  labour  of  throwing  the  clay,  his  mind  was 
forced  to  dwell  on  other  branches  of  the  business. 
From  the  time  he  was  sixteen  till  he  reached  the  age 
of  thirty-four  he  was  a  constant  sufferer  from  this  leg. 
Only  after  it  was  amputated  did  he  recover  a  measure 
of  health.  Wedgwood  himself  attributes  much  of  his 
success  to  the  fact  that  he  was  frequently  laid  up 
with  his  infirmity,  these  periods  of  inaction  causing  his 
mind  to  be  all  the  more  active.  Mrs.  Wedgwood, 
his  mother,  who  seems  to  have  been  an  estimable 
woman,  died  when  Josiah  was  not  yet  eighteen.  The 
family  of  brothers  and  sisters. continued  to  dwell  in 
the  old  house,  and  Josiah  worked  out  his  five  years* 
apprenticeship.  Possibly  he  supposed  after  these 
five  years  of  faithful  work  he  would  be  taken  into 
partnership  with  his  brother,  but  this  was  not  the  case. 
When  he  came  to  be  twenty  years  of  age  he  took  his 
small  patrimony  and  started  out  in  life  for  himself. 
He  went  first  to  Stoke  and  there  made  knife  handles 
in  mottled  agate  and  tortoise  shell  ware,  which  he 
supplied  to  the  hardware  manufacturers  of  Sheffield 
and  Birmingham. 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.       187 

In  the  year  1752,  three  years  after  his  apprentice- 
ship had  expired,  the  young  Josiah  entered  into 
partnership  with  a  man  named  John  Harrison  and 
still  continued  to  make  the  knife  handles.  Two  years 
later  came  the  partnership  with  Thomas  Wheildon, 
the  best  known  potter  01  his  day,  and  this  association 
lasted  for  five  years.  Wheildon's  reputation  for  his 
wares  was  widespread,  and  most  fortunate  it  was  for 
Wedgwood  to  be  associated  with  so  desirable  a  part, 
ner.  Oh  Wheildon's  side  the  benefit  derived  from 
Wedgwood's  taste  and  skill  about  balanced  accounts. 

There  are  interesting  documents  extant,  covering 
the  period  of  this  partnership  and  giving  a  variety  of 
curious  details  with  regard  to  the  custom  of  hiring 
potters,  and  the  prices  at  which  some  of  the  wares 
were  sold  in  1754  and  a  little  later.  For  instance, 
potters  were  always  hired  from  Martinmas  to  Martin- 
mas, and  into  the  agreements  went  many  strange  items. 
One  man  had  stockings  furnished  him,  another  a 
shirt,  at  sixteen  pence  a  yard,  and  one  employee  who 
worked  for  two  shillings  threepence  a  week,  had,  as 
further  emolument,  "an  old  pr.  stockins,  or  some- 
thing." 

The  great  Josiah  Spode,  who  came  afterwards  to  be 
so  well  and  favourably  known,  worked  for  Wedgwood, 
in  1749,  for  two  shillings  threepence  a  week,  or  "two 
shillings  sixpence  if  he  deserves  it."  As  for  the  tor- 
toise shell  and  other  wares,  plates  came  as  low  as 
eight  shillings  a  dozen,  and  one  dozen  painted  dishes 
are  set  down  as  worth  but  two  shillings.  The  wares 
made  by  Wheildon  and  Wedgwood  were  excellent  in 
shape,  of  good  quality  and  carefully  made.  It  is 
needless  to  say  how  scarce    they    are  now   and  how 


i88  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

desirable.  There  were,  besides  the  tortoise  shell,  the 
cauliflower  ware,  and  salts,  mustard  pots,  bread-and- 
butter  plates,  coffee  pots,  teapots,  sugar  boxes,  dishes, 
mugs,  etc.  The  famous  green  glaze  which  Wedgwood 
invented  the  year  of  the  partnership,  1754,  and  which 
is  described  as  a  "  new  green  earthenware,  having  the 
smoothness  and  brilliant  appearance  of  glass,"  had 
much  to  do  with  the  rising  fortunes  of  the  new  firm. 
The  partnership  expired  in  1759,  as  it  was  drawn  but 
for  five  years,  and  Wedgwood  returned  immediately  to 
Burslem,  intent  on  perfecting  his  experiments  and 
bringing  them  to  a  successful  issue. 

He  was  now  twenty-nine  years  old,  and,  in  the  old 
pot  works  which  had  been  occupied  by  his  brother,  he 
set  to  work  not  only  to  create  new  ideals  but  to  rival 
old  ones.  The  old  pot  works  did  not  prove  satisfactory, 
and  he  moved  to  those  connected  with  the  "  Ivy 
House,"  as  it  was  called  from  the  profusion  of  this 
plant  growing  upon  it,  which,  no  doubt,  furnished  him 
with  models  for  the  ivy  pattern  he  was  so  fond  of 
introducing  in  his  work.  This  house  and  works  were 
rented  by  Josiah  from  his  relatives  for  the  modest  sum 
of  ten  pounds  yearly,  and,  having  a  house,  his  thoughts 
ran  naturally  to  filling  it,  so  here  he  brought  his  bride. 
Josiah  Wedgwood,  now  somewhat  over  thirty,  was 
carrying  on  the  old  works — Churchyard  Works,  as  they 
were  called — where  he  made  common  wares,  and  the 
Ivy  House  Works  where  the  choicer  specimens  were 
made.  He  was  suffering  intensely  with  his  leg,  the 
condition  of  which  had  become  most  distressing.  Yet, 
under  all  this  stress,  he  personally  superintended  both 
works — in  fact  every  article  may  be  said  to  have  passed 
through  his  hands — and  he  increased  the  product  of 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.      189 

tortoise  shell  and  marbled  wares  by  making  vases  with 
gilt  or  coloured  foliage,  jardinieres,  white  ware  medal- 
lions, the  green  glazed  earthenware,  different  dishes  to 
represent  different  fruits — melons,  pears,  pineapples, 
etc., — and  all  these  had  a  ready  and  abundant  sale. 

With  the  success  coming  from  his  numerous  inven- 
tions and  with  the  betterment  of  his  health  (his  leg  had 
been  amputated),  he  naturally  sought  to  increase  his 
output  and  to  do  this  was  obliged  to  have  more  ex- 
tensive works.  It  was  at  this  time  that  Wedgwood 
rented  a  third  pot  works,  not  far  from  Ivy  House, 
and  co'ntinued  to  manage  three  distinct  manufactories 
in  his  native  town.  Besides  being  constantly  on  the 
alert  to  improve  his  wares  himself  and  to  acquire  any 
new  ideas  which  were  being  put  forth  by  other  potters, 
he  also  found  time  entirely  to  re-organize  the  methods 
of  the  workmen  in  his  employ,  bringing  order  out  of 
chaos  and  organizing  a  system  by  which  he  was  left 
comparatively  free  to  experiment  and  perfect,  while 
still  holding  the  reins  of  government.  With  these 
three  establishments  under  his  control  he  had  serious 
difficulties  to  contend  with.  For  instance,  there  were 
but  three  modellers  in  his  employ,  and  of  these  three 
only  one  gave  his  entire  time  to  Wedgwood.  The 
tools  of  the  trade  were  still  of  the  most  primitive 
order — a  turning  lathe,  a  potter's  wheel  and  a  few 
knives.  With  ambitions  for  a  higher  type  of  work, 
this  redoubtable  man  had  to  set  to  work  and  invent 
his  own  appliances — new  tools,  kilns,  drying  ovens,  etc., 
and  teach  his  workmen  how  to  use  them,  and  oversee 
their  efforts.  Day  and  night  he  laboured,  taking 
hardly  the  necessary  time  for  rest.  He  was  early  at 
the  bench  with  his  workmen,  and  generally  with  his 


190  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

own  hands  he  taught  them  how  to  make  the  object  he 
wished  them  to  form.  He  often  said  he  did  his  think- 
ing by  night,  so  that  he  might  be  up  and  doing  by  day. 
An  infinity  of  small  details  crowded  on  his  mind,  and 
it  is  interesting  to  see  how  he  met,  solved  and  settled 
them.  It  had  always  been  customary  to  call  potters 
to  their  work  by  sounding  a  horn,  though  in  general 
they  came  and  went  from  the  works  pretty  much  as 
they  pleased.  In  the  new  works  which  were  acquired 
after  the  Ivy  House  Works,  Wedgwood  sought  to 
overcome  this  difficulty  and  had  a  small  cupola  built, 
with  a  bell  hung  within  it  to  sound  working  hours. 
This  gave  to  the  factory  the  name  of  Bell  House 
Works.  These  works  were  rented  by  Wedgwood  from 
Mr.  Bourne,  their  owner,  till  the  removal  to  Etruria. 

At  the  Bell  House  Works  Wedgwood  made  his  finest 
pieces,  and  so  admirable  did  they  become  that  he  soon 
gained  distinction  both  in  England  and  on  the  Contin- 
ent. In  September,  1761,  Wedgwood  made  and  pre- 
sented to  Queen  Charlotte,  upon  the  birth  of  her  first 
child,  a  caudle  and  breakfast  set  of  his  cream-coloured 
ware,  which  had  by  this  time  reached  a  high  state  of  per- 
fection. He  had  it  still  further  embellished  by  his  two 
best  painters,  Daniell  and  Steele,  and  on  the  creamy 
yellow  ground  were  raised  sprigs  of  jessamine  and  other 
flowers,  all  coloured  from  Nature.  The  queen  was 
highly  delighted  and  gave  orders  for  a  dinner  service, 
and,  in  token  of  his  gratitude,  Wedgwood  called  this 
Queen's  Ware.  He  received  commands  to  call  him- 
self by  the  proud  title  of  **  Potter  to  Her  Majesty." 
Of  course  both  potter  and  his  products  became  im- 
mensely fashionable  when  the  queen  set  the  style,  and 
orders  flowed  in  upon  him.     It  is  on  record  that  at  this 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.       191 

time  these  cream-ware  plates,  large  size,  brought 
fifteen  shillings  a  dozen  and  other  pieces  in  propor- 
tion. It  is  well  to  remember  that  the  common  type 
of  plate  in  this  ware  was  of  the  trencher  pattern,  or 
like  the  old  wooden  plates,  with  flat  edge  and  without 
a  rim  on  the  under  side.  So  far  only  Wedgwood's 
successes  have  been  mentioned,  but  his  losses  were  vast 
and  continuous.  One  disaster  followed  another,  but 
with  that  dogged  perseverance  which  was  one  of  his 
characteristics  he  kept  bravely  on.  Consider  the  feel- 
ings of  the  potter  who  labours  for  months  creating 
and  modelling,  and,  in  a  few  hours,  by  a  deficient  kiln, 
has  all  this  work  of  brain  and  hand  destroyed  1 

After  arriving  at  the  point  of  perfection  in  the 
Queen's  Ware  our  potter  did  not  reap  the  whole 
benefit  of  his  labours  and  trials.  All  the  potters  of 
the  region  quickly  took  to  making  it  and  gained  the 
rewards  without  the  losses.  The  distinctive  quality  of 
Wedgwood's  cream-coloured  ware  was  the  introduction 
of  Cornwall  clay,  and  its  superiority  was  due  to  im- 
provements in  the  processes  of  its  manufacture  and  its 
glaze.  This  cream-coloured  ware,  so  called,  varies  in 
shade  from  an  extremely  light  primrose  to  the  deepest 
saffron.  The  variation  in  the  colour  comes  from  the 
clay,  the  dark  tints  being  much  rarer  than  the  light, 
and  the  objects  made  in  them  are  always  of  the  finest 
quality  and  highly  desirable.  Some  splendid  speci- 
mens of  basket  work — "  twigged  baskets  "  Wedgwood 
called  them — are  found  in  this  deep  tint,  as  well  as 
centre  pieces  of  various  shapes.  Vases  were  made  in 
cream  ware  of  a  thin  paste,  with  highly  vitrified  glaze 
and  of  small  size.  If  left  uncoloured  they  were  plain, 
tibbed,    fluted    or   impressed   with    classical    borders. 


192  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

Then  followed  serpent,  goat's  head  and  dolphin 
handles  and  festoons.  Inlaying  was  used  and  gilding, 
as  well  as  patterns  in  blue,  red,  black  or  brown.  Then 
the  cream  ware  was  sprinkled  with  colour.  Vases 
marbled  with  gold  and  others  sprinkled  with  the  sa;.x 
are  set  down  in  an  invoice  of  cream  ware  dated  Octo- 
ber T5,  1768,  and  the  wholesale  price  was  from  eighteen 
shillings  to  ten  shillings  sixpence  each.     FiG.  125. 

Of  the  cream-ware  services  there  are  more  specimens 
to  be  found.  In  a  catalogue  of  this  ware  it  is  noted 
that  a  service  of  Queen's  Ware,  consisting  of  one  hun. 
dred  and  forty-six  pieces,  at  wholesale  cost  three 
pounds,  seventeen  shillings,  about  $19.25.  There 
were  round  and  oval  covered  dishes,  "*  terrines  '  lor 
soup,  pickle  dishes,  salt  cellars,  etc.  There  were  also 
to  be  had  in  addition  to  the  pieces  01  the  regular  ser- 
vice ;  "  Root  dishes  with  pans  to  keep  them  hot.  Cov- 
ered dishes  to  stew  or  keep  a  dish  of  meat  hot.  Dishes 
for  water  zootjes  (Dutch  fish).  Ice  pails.  Egg  baskets 
to  keep  boiled  eggs  hot  in  water.  Egg  spoons,  table 
candlesticks  of  different  patterns  from  nine  to  four- 
teen inches  high.  Cheese  toasters  with  water  pans, 
pudding  cups,  shapes  for  blanc-mange,  asparagus  pans, 
monteths  for  keeping  glasses  cool  in  water,  beer  mugs 
with  or  without  covers,  croquants  or  sweetmeat 
dishes,  ice-cream  cups  and  covers,  strawberry  dishes 
and  stands  and  dessert  spoons." 

When  it  is  considered  that  Wedgwood  personally 
invented  most  of  these  dishes,  thereby  adding  to  the 
variety  and  comfort  of  daily  living,  it  seems  as  if  what 
he  accomplished  in  this  ware  alone  would  have  given 
him  a  reputation  as  a  benefactor.  Up  to  this  time  by 
far  the  greater  part  of  household  utensils  were  wood  or 


Fig.  125.     CREAM  WAR?:.     Hl'SK   BORDER. 
Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts. 


Fig.  I..6.     BASALTES  MEDALLION. 


Pig.  127.     BASALTES  TEA-SET. 
Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.      193 

pewter,  most  undesirable  in  comparison  with  this  fresh 
pretty  ware  which  came  within  the  reach  of  the  mid- 
dle classes,  who  had  been  unable  to  buy  the  porcelain 
or  Oriental  wares  used  by  the  wealthy.  The  best  pat- 
terns used  on  this  ware  Wedgwood  copied  directly 
from  the  antique.  They  were  the  egg-and-tongue^ 
meander,  antique,  and  helix  borders.  The  colours 
and  forms  of  these  varied  greatly,  and  besides  being 
in  great  demand  in  England  were  exported  to  Italy 
and  Germany.  The  grape  pattern  in  purple  and  gold 
was  put  on  a  dessert  service  for  the  great  Lord  Chat- 
ham. 

That  splendid  service  made  for  the  "  Mesdames  of 
France,"  in  1787,  bore  this  grape  border  in  brown,  with 
trophies  and  musical  instruments  in  the  same  colour. 

In  1787  there  were,  in  addition  to  the  patterns  which 
had  been  printed  by  Sadler  and  Green,  these: 
Honeysuckle  in  several  colours.      Red  and  black  strawberry  leaf. 
Red  Etruscan.  Brown  drop. 

Black  and  red  spike.  Dotted   border,  bell  drops,  light 

Brown  edge.  green. 

Blue  morning  glory  with  green      Broad  pea-green  and  mauve. 

leaves.  Royal  pattern,  pencilled    land- 

Bell-drops,  deep  rose  colour.  scapes. 

The  next  year  several  more  patterns  were  added 
among  them  are : 

Red  and  black  dotted  border.  Moss  border. 

Green  and  black  Etruscan.  Green  oat  with  blue  lines. 

Brown  strawberry  leaf.  Green  and  purple  grape. 

There  were  also  an  incredible  number  of  varieties 
of  flowers,  fruits,  shells,  plants,  seaweeds,  etc.  Bor- 
ders going  with  arms  and  crests  were  often  intricate, 
and,  during  the  period  from    Wedgwood  s  death,  in 


194  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

1795,  to  1843,  the  patterns  were  louder  in  colour  and 
design,  and  gold  was  introduced  in  spots  and  dashes. 

All  the  finish  in  old  Wedgwood  cream  ware  was 
excellent,  as  might  have  been  expected.  The  joining 
of  the  patterns  never  shows  ;  no  edging  is  out  of  line ; 
and  the  colour  on  the  same  plane  does  not  vary  unless 
it  is  designed  to. 

Wedgwood  cut  out  his  models  first  in  paper,  and 
modelled  most  of  the  trial  pieces  himself.  So  true 
were  these  models  that  his  plates  and  bowls  "  nest  " 
perfectly,  and  even  the  commonest  'ug  for  wash-hand 
basin  was  moulded  to  be  accurate  in  its  lines,  good  in 
form,  and  perfect  in  its  capacity  for  pouring.  His 
butter  tubs  were  modelled  in  the  pleasing  shapes  of 
melon  or  pineapple.  His  honey  pots  were  beehives, 
and  his  twigged  baskets  and  dishes  are  things  of 
beauty.  In  this  same  cream  ware  he  made  watering 
pots,  large  and  small  milk  pans,  slabs  and  tiles  for 
dairies,  as  the  management  and  care  of  the  dairy  was 
a  fashionable  fad  among  his  aristocratic  customers. 
He  would  be  pleased  could  he  see  the  estimation  in 
which  even  this,  the  humblest  of  his  wares,  is  held, 
for  so  small  objects  as  a  pair  of  bell-pulls,  decorated  in 
green,  brought  at  auction,  some  years  since,  twenty- 
two  dollars. 

After  working  on  the  ware  itself  and  its  decoration, 
Wedgwood  then  turned  his  attention  to  shapes,  and 
from  this  time  on  great  improvements  are  noted  in 
the  forms  of  common  objects,  and  convenience  and 
the  perfection  of  each  piece  was  studied. 

Wedgwood's  taste  and  artistic  sense  were  so  strong 
that  even  the  silversmiths  followed  his  models,  as  well 
as  the  members  of  his  own  craft.     In  all  of  the  long 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.      19S 

and  prosperous  career  of  this  prince  of  potters  only 
once  did  he  take  out  a  patent,  and  then  only  an  unim- 
portant one  for  decorative  purposes,  in  the  year  1769. 

Previous  to  this  time  Sadler  and  Green  had  been 
engaged  in  printing  on  Wedgwood's  Queen's  Ware  in 
biscuit  state,  and  much  of  it  was  on  the  market.  It 
is  extremely  hard  to  find  any  to-day,  even  in  England. 
The  difficulty  of  getting  his  wares  safely  to  Liverpool 
for  printing  and  back  again  to  Burslem,  seems  to  have 
impressed  upon  the  mind  of  Wedgwood  the  impor- 
tance of  good  roads  or  water  carriage.  So,  about  1764, 
we  find  him  endeavouring  to  have  turnpikes  built  and 
canals  put  through,  and  it  was  owing  to  his  efforts 
that  the  first  turnpike  road  was  run  through  the  pot- 
teries district  ending  at  Burslem. 

Even  with  all  the  expense  he  was  put  to,  and  with 
his  losses  by  experiments  and  imperfect  appliances, 
Wedgwood  was  no  longer  so  much  hampered  for 
money.  His  wife  had  brought  him  quite  a  little 
fortune,  some  authorities  giving  the  figures  as  twenty 
thousand  pounds — an  immense  sum  for  those  days, 
and  of  great  assistance  to  her  ambitious  husband. 

By  1766,  owing  largely  to  Wedgwood's  own  efforts, 
and  to  his  coming  forward  with  a  generous  subscrip- 
tion at  the  proper  moment,  the  canal  project  was  put 
through.  Wedgwood,  appropriately,  was  invited  to 
cut  the  first  sod,  and  the  Grand  Trunk  Canal,  which 
took  over  six  years  to  build,  became  a  fact.  It  was 
ninety  miles  long,  and  opened  up  the  pottery  districts, 
making  the  receipt  and  despatch  of  goods  more  cer- 
tain and  vastly  more  speedy,  as  well  as  lowering  the 
freight  charges. 

Finding  as  time  progressed  that  the  cares  of  over- 


196  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

seeing  took  too  much  of  his  attention,  which  might 
have  been  employed  to  better  advantage,  Wedgwood 
took  as  partner  his  cousin,  Thomas  Wedgwood,  who 
for  some  years  had  been  foreman  in  his  factory.  The 
works  at  Burslem  had  become  too  small,  and,  in  1766, 
a  year  so  full  of  important  events  to  Josiah  Wedg- 
wood, he  began  to  build  works  in  the  township  of 
Shelton,  only  about  two  miles  from  Burslem,  and  most 
advantageously  placed,  as  Wedgwood  thought,  for 
it  was  to  be  intersected  by  the  proposed  canal.  Here 
were  built  first  what  were  known  as  the  "  Black 
Works,"  in  1767,  by  the  side  of  the  canal,  and  here 
commenced  the  manufacture  of  black  basaltes,  Egyp- 
tian, or  black  ware,  as  it  was  variously  called.  He 
had  perfected  this  ware  the  previous  year,  and  de- 
scribes it,  to  use  his  own  words,  as  "  Basaltes,  or 
black  ware  ;  a  black  porcelain  biscuit  of  nearly  the 
same  properties  with  the  natural  stone,  striking  fire 
with  steel,  receiving  a  high  polish,  serving  as  a  touch- 
stone for  metals,  resisting  all  the  acids,  and  bearing 
without  injury  a  strong  fire ;  stronger,  indeed,  than 
the  basaltes  itselL"  So  hard  was  this  basaltes  that 
it  would  strike  fire  with  steel,  yet  with  a  surface  so 
^oft  that  it  seemed  to  have  the  bloom  of  velvet,  and 
was  capable  of  being  moulded  and  cut  into  the  most 
fixquisite  ornament. 

In  Fig.  126  is  given  one  of  the  basaltes  medallions 
in  the  set  "  English  Kings,"  which  were  modelled 
from  Astle's  portraits.  These  medallions  are  two 
inches  long  and  one  and  three  quarters  inches  wide, 
and  the  particular  set  from  which  this  one  is  taken 
is  framed  in  an  old-fashioned  silver  mount  which  con- 
trasts  admirably  with   the    velvet   blackness   of    the 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.       197 

basaltes.  No  photograph  can  do  justice  to  the  beauty 
and  finish  of  this  ware  and  to  those  dehcate  details*" 
to  which  Wedgwood  himself  paid  so  much  attention. 
Fortunately  for  us,  Wedgwood  had  his  works  cata- 
logued, showing  what  and  how  many  sets  or  pieces 
were  made,  and  there  were  six  editions  of  this  cata- 
logue beginning  with  the  year  1773,  again  in  1774, 
1777,  1779,  1787,  and  under  the  younger  Wedgwood 
in  1817.  In  no  year  were  there  more  than  thirty-six 
sets  of  these  "  English  Kings "  made,  and  in  the 
years  from  1779  to  1787,  when  his  art  productions 
reached  their  highest  perfection  and  greatest  number, 
there  were  made  but  sixty-eight  sets  in  all. 

There  are  some  details  which  every  collector  should 
know  and  which  should  be  carefully  noted  in  every 
piece  of  this  basaltes  before  purchasing,  as  there  were 
quantities  of  counterfeits  put  upon  the  market. 

The  first  point  to  be  looked  at  is  the  flat  surface  or 
body-plane.  Those  belonging  to  the  Wedgwood  and 
Bently  period,  from  1769  to  1780,  and  also  to  the 
Wedgwood  period  1781  to  1795  are  always  beautifully 
perfect,  even  and  smooth.  No  variation  or  waviness 
ever  appears  on  the  surface,  and  there  is  no  "  craz- 
ing"— that  is,  minute  cracking  of  the  surface  glaze — 
ever  to  be  seen  on  the  elder  Wedgwood's  ware. 

The  relief  part,  or  raised  work,  is,  almost  without 
exception,  beautifully  perfect.  The  use  of  a  micro- 
scope or  hand  magnifier  reveals  perfections,  not  de- 
fects, and  the  minutest  pieces,  such  as  were  used  to 
set  in  rings  or  eardrops,  will  show  up  with  the  finish 
of  antique  gems.  The  draperies  and  limbs,  each  tiny 
finger  and  toe,  the  plumage  of  birds  are  all  perfect 
and  distinct. 


198  THE    OLD    CHINA    BOOK. 

No  test  is  more  to  be  relied  upon  than  the  accuracy 
of  the  under  cutting.  In  modern  medallions  or  cam- 
eos, the  outlines  of  limbs,  profiles,  draperies,  etc.,  lie 
flat  with  the  surface  ;  in  "  Old  Wedgwood  "  the  model- 
ler's tool  has  under-cut  these  lines,  and  the  relief 
stands  out  sharp  and  distinct  from  the  plane.  This 
gives  roundness  and  the  appearance  of  high  relief  to 
the  figures,  flow  to  the  draperies,  and  that  detachment 
from  the  background  which  gives  these  reliefs  their 
chief  beauty.  In  those  bas-reliefs  and  portraits  mod- 
elled by  Flaxman  this  under-cutting  is  shown  in  its 
highest  perfection,  as  is  also  that  polish  and  finish 
where  not  a  detail  is  forgotten  nor  overlooked.  Manj^ 
fine  specimens,  however,  are  not  under-cut — that  is  cut 
away  from  beneath  the  figure — but  are,  nevertheless, 
carefully  finished  on  the  edges  by  the  modeller's  tools. 
Those  specimens  lacking  under-cutting,  or  after  finish 
with  the  tool,  are  to  be  regarded  with  suspicion,  and 
it  is  extremely  doubtful  if  they  were  made  prior  to 
1795.  These  remarks  apply  to  all  specimens  of  black 
ware  and  jasper  and  to  all  objects  made  in  these 
wares. 

As  for  the  marks,  it  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  that  al- 
most every  piece  of  old  Wedgwood  bears  his  mark. 
Those  which  are  unmarked  are  trial  pieces,  when  a 
new  body  or  colour  was  used  or  some  experiment  was 
being  made,  or  such  rare  pieces  as  in  the  hurry  of  a 
great  establishment  escaped  the  workman's  attention. 

To  the  experienced  collector  the  "  feel  "  of  the  piece, 
the  finish,  and  the  choice  perfection  of  the  details 
will  reveal  the  master's  work,  even  though  the  mark 
be  lacking.  The  name  Wedgwood  is  frequently  im- 
pressed in   small  capitals  which  vary  from  one  thirty- 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.        199 

second  to  one  quarter  of  an  inch  in  height.  On  the 
small  pieces  this  lettering  is  extremely  minute,  so  that 
it  needs  a  magnifier  to  reveal  it.  Except  letters  and 
figures,  generally  used  singly,  the  collector  will  re- 
member that  all  the  more  peculiar  marks  were  used 
after  the  death  of  Wedgwood,  the  elder,  in  1795. 

The  double  mark  v^  •  dates  from  between  1805  to 
181 5,  m  is  the  mark  of  the  period  of  Oriental  patterns, 
1810,  and  the  use  of  three  capitals  in  combination,  as 
"  A.  T.  Q.,"  "  R.  S.  B.,"  "  T.  M.  P.,"  "  L.  G.  Z.,"  and 
others  of  the  alphabet  taken  at  random,  are  not  only 
still  used  but  are  never  more  than  fifty  or  sixty  years 
old.  One  excellent  test  of  age  is  the  extreme  round- 
ness of  the  two  letters  "  o  "  in  the  name  Wedgwood, 
and  so  is  the  figure  "3,"  or  the  single  letter  "O" 
in  addition.  Besides  the  printed  name  Wedgwood,  it 
is  found  sometimes  as  if  printed  by  hand,  with  the  old- 
fashioned  letter  "  d,"  the  upward  stroke  of  which 
turns  backward.  This  mark  is  never  found  on  any 
of  the  modern  ware.  In  this  same  hand  printing  may 
be  found  the  two  names  Wedgwood  and  Bentley, 
which  puts  the  piece  bearing  such  mark  prior  to  1780, 
when  Bentley  died.  This  firm  name  may  also  be 
found  in  a  circular  raised  medallion,  with  the  word 
"  Etruria"  added. 

There  are  numberless  examples  having  the  impressed 
stamp  of  Wedgwood  with  a  single  letter  added 
as  "Wedgwood  A,"  or  "  V"  or  "  H,"  etc.  Figures, 
too,  are  sometimes  combined,  as  "Wedgwood  k,"  and 
"  2,"  or  "  Wedgwood  43."  There  are  many  pieces 
bearing  in  addition  scratched  marks  of  various  kinds, 
but  these  are  invariably  workmen's  marks.  In  addi- 
tion there  are  given   by  Miss   Meteyard,   who  made 


200  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

Wedgwood  and  his  work  a  life  study,  about  one  hun- 
dred other  marks  which  were  used  always  in  connection 
with  the  name  Wedgwood. 

When  the  name  of  the  subject  is  given  on  the  me- 
dalHons,  it  is  usually  on  the  face  of  the  piece  at  the 
base  of  the  portrait.  See  FiG.  126.  If  it  is  not  impressed 
on  the  front  it  is  scratched  on  the  back  by  hand. 
The  marks  on  printed  or  painted  ware  are  of  the 
impressed  name  and  a  mark  or  two  in  the  same 
colour  as  the  pattern.  Sometimes  the  name  is  printed 
on  in  red  or  blue,  but  always  in  small  capitals.  In 
the  old  ware  the  impressed  stamp  is  notable  for  its 
beautiful  clearness.  In  modern  ware  it  is  often 
blurred  and  ragged. 

Numbers  of  the  finest  cameos  and  portraits  have  the 
letters  "  H  "  or  "  G  "  signifying  Hackwood  or  Great- 
back,  two  of  Wedgwood's  finest  workmen.  Wedg- 
wood himself  did  not  like  his  men  to  do  this,  and  en- 
deavoured to  suppress  their  marks  as  much  as  possible, 
for  he  wrote  to  Bentley,  on  December  22,  1777,  as 
follows:  "  I  cannot  resist  the  temptation  of  showing 
my  dear  friend  our  new  Shakespeare  and  Garrick, 
though  they  are  not  so  well  fired  as  they  should  be; 
we  put  them  in  our  common  biscuit  oven.  You  will 
see  by  looking  over  the  shoulder  of  each,  that  these 
heads  are  modelled  by  William  Hackwood,  but  I  shall 
prevent  his  exposing  himself  again  now  I  have  found 
it  out.  I  am  not  certain  that  he  will  not  be  offended 
if  he  is  refused  the  liberty  of  putting  his  name  to 
the  models  which  he  makes  quite  new,  and  I  shall 
be  glad  to  have  your  opinion  upon  the  subject. 
Mine  is  against  any  name  being  upon  our  articles 
besides    "  W  "    and    "  B,"    and    if    you    concur   with 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.       201 

me  I  will  manage  the  matter  with  him  as  well  as  I 
can." 

Prior  to  the  partnership  with  Bentley,  in  1768,  the 
goods,  which  were  largely  cream  wares,  were  simply 
marked  Wedgwood,  in  large  type,  and  often  even  this 
was  omitted  on  many  pieces  of  a  set.  It  is  not  impos- 
sible to  buy  old  Wedgwood  in  this  country  to-day. 
Within  the  last  three  years  I  have  bought  two  of 
these  portrait  medallions  of  the  old  period,  one  Wil- 
liam, Prince  of  Orange,  size  four  by  three  inches,  in 
the  set  of  "  Illustrious  Moderns  "  mentioned  in  cata- 
logues, in  perfect  condition,  and  marked,  for  ten 
dollars.  The  other  set  in  silver,  two  by  one  and 
three  quarters  inches,  of  William  the  Conqueror,  I 
bought  for  fifteen  dollars.  They  were  marked  simply 
"Wedgwood"  in  small,  finely  executed  capitals  on 
the  back  of  the  first  one,  the  subject  on  the  front  in 
the  second  one,  and  scratched  in  the  back,  on  the  one 
of  William,  Prince  of  Orange. 

These  medallions  were  generally  sold  in  sets, 
arranged  in  trays  or  framed,  and  I  find  in  a  sale  cata- 
logue of  Christies',  in  London,  for  the  year  1781 — which 
was  the  year  succeeding  Bentley's  death — that  a  set  of 
twenty-six  of  these  heads,  unframed,  brought  but  one 
pound,  ten  shillings,  which  reduces  them  to  the  infi- 
nitely small  price  of  a  trifle  over  twenty-one  cents  each 
for  the  medallions,  size  two  by  one  and  three  quar- 
ters. 

Wedgwood  did  not  at  first  use  the  black  basaltes 
for  vases.  In  1766  and  1767  he  worked  hard  in  im- 
proving the  lathe  to  be  used  in  their  manufacture, 
«ind  it  is  in  1768  that  we  first  hear  of  basaltes  vases. 
The  earliest  of  these  were  bronzed,  but  did  not  meet  the 


202  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

popular  fancy.  In  the  next  year,  1769,  they  were 
painted  or  ornamented  with  festoons  in  white  biscuit, 
glazed.  Small  white  medallions  were  also  employed, 
surrounded  with  a  frame,  in  the  same  white  biscuit.  It 
took  some  years  to  bring  these  vases  to  their  final  per- 
fection, and  from  1769  to  1776  they  were  ornamented 
with  flutings,  ribbing,  strap-work,  floral  and  husk  fes- 
toons, and  with  goat's  head,  mask,  satyr  and  dolphin 
handles.  The  surface  of  these  vases  was  generally 
highly  polished,  and  the  mark  on  them  is  the  circular 
raised  medallion,  with  the  name  Wedgwood  and  Ben- 
tley  and  often  Etruria.  This  mark  always  signifies  a 
fine  period,  with  high  quality  of  work,  beautiful  shape 
and  superior  workmanship,  and  the  surface  has  a 
velvet  touch  to  the  finger.  The  earliest  ones  with  bas- 
reliefs,  all — vase  and  decoration — being  black,  had 
festoons  of  flowers  and  husks  or  a  simple  medallion. 

In  1776  Wedgwood  undertook  more  artistic  flights. 
He  writes  to  Bentley  in  June  of  that  year:  "I  am 
preparing  bas-reliefs  for  most  of  our  black  vases 
and  hope  to  have  a  very  complete  assortment  for  you 
to  open  with  the  next  season  ;  and  such  as  make  a 
striking  and  pleasing  variety  in  that  part  of  your 
show." 

Flaxman's  exquisite  bas-relief  of  the  "  Dancing 
Hours"  was  first  applied  to  the  basaltes  vase,  and 
copies  of  it  were  sent  to  London  in  September,   1776. 

A  new  variety  of  black  belongs  to  this  same  year, 
for  Wedgwood,  ever  alive  to  meeting  popular  taste, 
found  that  the  dead  black  was  more  generally  liked 
than  the  polished,  and  from  this  time  he  used  it  in 
busts,  medallions  and  vases.  The  collector  will  find 
that  the  polish  of  the  earliest  vases  grows  less  and  less 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.       203 

as  the  potter  advanced,  and  was  avoided  in  the  finest 
period.  From  1777  all  the  bas-reliefs  were,  as  they 
appeared,  adapted  to  vases  as  well  as  to  gems  and 
intaglios.  In  this  way  the  dates  of  vases,  etc.,  can  be 
closely  approximated  ;  as  Flaxman's  groups  and  Lady 
Templeton's  small  figures  could  not  have  appeared  till 
somewiiat  later,  1782  or  1783,  while  such  well-known 
groups  as  "  Achilles,"  or  the  "  Daughters  of  Lyco- 
medes,"  or  the  "Sacrifice  of  Iphigenia,"  came  after  1787. 

Wedgwood  took  an  honest  pride  in  these  exquisite 
productions  and  says,  in  1779  :  "  They  are  from  three 
or  four  inches  high  to  more  than  two  feet.  The  prices 
from  seven  shillings  and  sixpence  each,  to  three  or 
four  guineas,  which  does  not  include  the  very  large 
ones  and  those  pieces  which  consist  of  many  parts, 
and  are  very  highly  finished."  He  speaks  of  the 
degree  of  perfection  to  which  these  black  vases  have 
been  brought,  and  adds  :  "  On  this  account,  together 
with  the  precision  of  their  outlines  and  simplicity  of 
their  antique  forms  they  have  had  the  honour  of 
being  highly  and  frequently  recommended  by  many 
of  the  connoisseurs  of  Europe  ;  and  are  being  placed 
amongst  the  finest  productions  of  the  age,  in  the 
palaces  and  cabinets  of  several  princes." 

That  these  pieces  were  worthy  to  be  so  ranked  is 
true,  and  to  my  mind  the  jaspers  do  not  compare 
with  this,  the  highest,  most  exquisite  and  artistic  pro- 
duct of  Wedgwood's  life. 

In  Fig,  127  is  shown  a  charming  tea-set,  with  the 
hot-water  kettle  which  was  an  invention  of  Wedg- 
wood's. The  exquisite  figures  of  children  and  cupids 
stand  out  from  the  background  in  beautiful  relief,  and 
the  shapes  of  the  pieces  are  as  graceful  as  we  are  led 


204  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

to  expect.  When  Wedgwood  first  began  to  manu- 
facture, tea  and  coffee  were  greater  rarities  than  they 
are  now,  and  even  well-to-do  families  often  did  not  use 
either  drink  once  a  day.  In  country  districts  the  use 
was  more  restricted  still,  so  that  tea-sets  were  not 
much  in  demand  except  for  festive  occasions.  Then 
the  higher  classes  used  Oriental  porcelain,  with  tea  or 
coffee  pot  and  creamer  of  silver.  Wedgwood,  whose 
perception  was  ever  alive  to  creating  a  demand,  saw 
that  with  handsomer  and  finer  ware  he  could  carry 
forward  public  taste  and  stimulate  a  desire  for  these 
articles.  This  he  did  and  filled  modest  English 
homes  with  objects  of  utility  and  elegance,  replacing 
and  crowding  out  the  coarse  and  common. 

Some  of  the  black  ware  was  painted.  "  Encaustic 
Painted  Ware,"  it  was  called,  and  tea-services  and 
separate  articles  were  made  in  it ;  even  teacups  and 
saucers  are  described  as  having  "  Etruscan  borders  in 
encaustic  paintings,"  and  "  Roman  cups,"  and  bread- 
and-butter  plates  are  also  mentioned.  None  of  this 
encaustic  ware  had  the  elegance  of  the  plain  black. 
As  an  example  of  the  beauty  of  the  basaltes  vases, 
one  is  given  in  FiG.  128. 

The  price  of  these  vases  was  necessarily  high,  the 
risk  in  making  large  pieces  being  great,  for  in  putting 
on  the  figures,  the  models  and  moulds  of  which  were 
costly,  there  was  danger  they  would  crack.  Fluted 
vases  were  more  reasonable  than  those  with  figures, 
and  plain  handles  were  less  costly  than  decorated 
ones.  Yet  what  Wedgwood  called  high  seems  very 
small  to  us,  for  in  Christies'  catalogue  for  1781  many 
"  mantel  suites,"  consisting  of  three,  five,  or  seven 
pieces — candelabra  and  vases — were  sold,  and  the  high. 


Fig.  128.     BASALTES  VASE. 
Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts. 


Fig.  J29.    JASPKK  FLOWER-HOLDKR,    GK-FKN  AND  WHITE 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.        205 

est  price  reached  was  six  pounds  for  "  a  suit  of  five, 
with  candelabra."  This  set  was  bought  by  Flaxman. 
This  sale  was  after  the  death  of  Bentley  and  was  held 
apparently  to  reduce  stock.  In  addition  to  the  tea- 
sets,  hot-water  kettles,  vases  and  candelabra,  there  were 
also  made  in  basaltes,  statuettes,  even  cups  and  sau- 
cers, salt-cellars,  tea-trays,  flower-pots,  flower-holders 
and  "  tazze,"  as  they  were  called.  They  were  flat  cups  or 
dishes,  each  with  a  foot  and  handles,  copied  from 
Etruscan  and  Greek  examples.  The  largest  sizes  of 
these  tazze  were  used  for  fonts  in  churches.  Frames 
were  also  made  in  this  material,  generally  for  the 
medallions. 

Rarest  objects  of  all,  in  basaltes  however,  are  figures 
of  elephants,  lions  and  horses.  The  latter  were  made 
from  models  by  Mrs.  Landre,  but,  while  on  record  in 
the  catalogue,  no  specimens  are  known.  A  wonder- 
fully fine  pair  of  lions  is  in  a  private  collection  in 
England. 

The  fourth  great  invention  made  by  Wedgwood  was 
what  he  eventually  called  jasper  ware ;  but  before 
speaking  of  this  a  few  words  must  be  given  to  a 
most  important  event  in  his  life,  his  partnership  with 
Bentley. 

Wedgwood  was  one  of  those  wonderful  men,  who 
by  system,  by  never  quitting  an  object  until  they  had 
effected  their  purpose,  and  by  a  careful  management 
of  time,  seemed  always  to  have  leisure  at  command. 
Yet  he  found  that  all  the  vast  details  of  such  a  great 
establishment  were  more  than  he  could  manage,  and, 
roughly  dividing  his  products  into  two  classes,  the 
useful  and  the  ornamental,  he  invited  his  friend  Mr. 
Bentley   to    become    his   partner   in    the    ornamental 


2o6  THE    OLD   CHINA   BOOK. 

branch.  Just  why  Wedgwood  should  have  chosen 
Mr.  Bentley,  who  was  a  literary  man  rather  than  one 
of  business,  cannot  be  told  ;  yet  the  partnership,  lasting 
twelve  years,  till  Bentley's  death,  was  one  of  the 
wisest  acts  of  Wedgwood's  life.  It  began  in  1768.  The 
"  Black  Works  "  were  finished  and  work  on  the  other 
manufactory  and  the  dwelling  house  was  soon  com- 
menced at  Etruria.  In  1770  these  were  finished,  and 
Wedgwood  named  the  whole  estate,  with  its  works 
and  mansion  house,  Etruria. 

The  extraordinary  care  and  resources  of  Wedgwood 
had  been  brought  to  bear  on  the  new  manufactory, 
and  it  was  not  only  the  largest  but  the  most  complete 
which  had  yet  been  built.  No  sooner  were  the  works 
set  in  order  and  filled  with  competent  workmen  than 
they  were  fully  occupied  in  both  branches  of  the 
business,  ornamental  as  well  as  useful.  When  the 
factory  was  well  started,  Wedgwood  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  comfort  of  his  workmen,  and  built  for  them 
a  village  where  they  could  be  comfortably  and  happily 
housed. 

With  Mr.  Bentley  situated  in  London,  looking  after 
and  introducing  the  products  of  Wedgwood's  fertile 
hands  and  brain,  the  latter  gave  himself  up  to  improv- 
ing and  beautifying  his  work.  Sir  William  Hamilton 
assisted  him  in  his  studies  of  antique  forms  and  models, 
and  urged  him  to  take  out  a  patent  for  painting  in 
encaustic  colours ;  this  he  did,  and  it  was  the  only  one 
he  ever  had.  So  free  was  he  from  professional  jeal- 
ousy that  he  regretted  having  taken  even  this  precau- 
tion to  protect  himself,  saying  to  his  friends,  he 
"  would  be  better  pleased  to  see  thousands  made  happy 
and  following  him  in  the  same  career,  than  he  could 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.      207 

be  at  any  exclusive  enjoyment."  This  single  patent 
was  granted  on  November  16,  1769.  The  first  prob- 
lem Wedgwood  had  to  struggle  with  after  perfecting 
his  methods  of  encaustic  painting  was  to  reduce  the 
price  of  the  objects  so  treated.  The  vases  were 
large,  some  as  tall  as  twenty  inches,  and  the 
price  varied  from  one  to  ten  or  twelve  guineas  each. 
For  the  exceedingly  choice  ones  even  more  was 
charged,  and  one  painted  for  Lord  Carlisle  was  fifteen 
guineas. 

"  The  Grecian  vases  we  have  are  sadly  too  dear," 
wrote  Wedgwood  to  Bentley  in  1772.  "When  I  tell 
our  noble  customers  ten  guineas  for  a  small  pair  of 
vases  with  a  single  figure  upon  each,  I  am  sure  of  a 
full  stare  in  the  face  from  them."  So  Wedgwood 
went  to  work  to  reduce  cost  and  make  their  manufac- 
ture rapid  and  economical.  At  first  each  vase  was 
painted  separately,  the  outlines  being  drawn  upon  it 
in  chalk.  But  this  was  soon  given  up  and  the  outlines 
printed  and  the  colours  filled  in  afterwards.  Even  in 
the  body  of  the  vases  new  mechanical  aids  were  em- 
ployed which  facilitated  production.  The  body 
oftenest  used  was  basaltes  with  some  slight  chemical 
differences  to  give  it  a  bluish  or  brownish  tone.  There 
were  also  vases  of  a  red  biscuit  body,  painted  like  the 
black  ones,  but  these  were  never  so  popular  and  were 
not  made  in  large  numbers. 

The  best  period  of  the  painted  vases  was  1780  till 
1795,  and  quantities  were  made,  the  purchasers  includ- 
ing many  of  the  highest  rank  in  England,  St.  Peters- 
burg, Amsterdam,  Genoa,  and  Leghorn.  The  subjects 
which  were  used  to  decorate  them  were  not  only 
taken    from  antique  Etruscan   vases  but  from  gems, 


2o8  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

antique  paintings  and  bas-reliefs,  as  well  as  Hamilton's 
"  Antiquities." 

On  the  thirteenth  of  June,  1769,  in  one  of  the  rooms 
of  the  "  Black  Works,"  the  first  product  of  the  new 
factory  was  thrown.  It  was  a  great  day  for  Wedgwood, 
his  family  and  friends.  At  the  potter's  bench  sat 
Josiah  Wedgwood,  arms  bared  and  encircling  the 
plastic  ball  of  clay,  while  beside  him  stood  his  partner, 
Thomas  Bentley,  and  his  wife.  The  clay  was  moulded 
with  his  accustomed  care,  and  on  the  board  in  front 
of  him  grew  a  row  of  classical  urns,  fashioned  by  his 
skillful  hands.  These  pieces  all  were  fired,  painted 
with  purest  Etruscan  design,  and  each  was  marked  : 

"June  XIII.  MDCCLXIX. 

One  of  the  first  day's  production 

at 

Etruria  in  Staffordshire 

by 

Wedgwood  &  Bentley. 

Artes  Etruriae  Renascunter." 

The  body  of  these  vases  was  basaltes,  and  the  figures 
and  inscriptions  are  in  red.  The  vases  are  of  two 
sizes,  ten,  and  ten  and  one  half  inches  high,  and  they 
bear  groups  of  Hercules  and  his  companions  in  the 
garden  of  the  Hesperides.  Each  group  is  varied 
slightly  on  every  vase.  So  popular  did  this  style  of 
vase  become  that  they  were  thrown  in  Etruria  and 
painted  at  Chelsea  in  order  to  supply  the  demand.  In 
this  latter  place  were  many  excellent  artists  to  be  had, 
who  worked  under  the  superintendence  of  Mr.  Bentley. 
These  Etruscan  vases,  etc.,  were  sold  largely  on  the 
Continent  as  well  as  in  England,  and   the  material  of 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.       209 

which  they  were  made  is  so  durable  that  many  of  them 
still  exist. 

In  the  year  1770,  Wedgwood  had  the  satisfaction 
of  receiving  large  orders,  not  only  from  the  King  and 
Queen  of  England,  but  from  Catherine  of  Russia  as 
well.  The  set  ordered  by  Catherine  must  have 
grieved  Wedgwood's  artistic  soul,  for  his  patroness 
did  not  leave  the  decoration  to  him,  but  gave  positive 
orders  concerning  it.  On  each  piece  was  to  be  painted 
in  black  enamel  different  views  of  the  palaces,  castles 
of  the  nobility,  and  different  places  of  interest  in  the 
kingdom.  Also  upon  every  piece  was  to  be  painted  a 
green  frog  or  toad,  as  the  service  was  to  be  used  at 
a  palace  that  bore  this  name. 

Wedgwood  rose  to  the  occasion  and  the  set  was 
finished  in  1774.  Twelve  hundred  original  sketches 
had  been  made  of  palaces,  etc.,  to  decorate  it,  and  the 
chatty  Mrs.  Delaney  writes  of  the  "  sensation  "  the 
service  caused  when  exhibited  in  London :  "  I  am 
just  returned  from  viewing  the  Wedgwood  ware  that 
is  to  be  sent  to  the  Empress  of  Russia.  It  consists, 
I  believe,  of  as  many  pieces  as  there  are  days  in  the 
year,  if  not  hours.  They  are  displayed  at  a  house  in 
Greek  street,  Soho,  called  Portland  House.  There 
are  three  rooms  below  and  two  above,  filled  with  it 
laid  out  on  tables  ;  everything  that  can  be  wanted  to 
serve  a  dinner.  The  ground,  the  common  ware,  pale 
brimstone,  the  drawings  in  purple,  the  borders  a 
wreath  of  leaves,  the  middle  of  each  piece  a  particular 
view  of  all  the  remarkable  places  in  the  King's  domin- 
ions neatly  executed.  I  am  sure  it  will  come  to  a 
princely  price  ;  it  is  well  for  the  manufacturer,  which 
I  am  glad  of,  as  his  ingenuity  and  industry  deserve 


210  THE    OLDCHINABOOK. 

encouragement."  She  does  not  mention  the  green 
frog  as  being  a  part  of  the  decoration,  yet  the  Empress 
showed  this  service  to  Lord  Malmesbury  when,  in 
1795,  he  visited  the  palace  of  La  Grenouilliere. 

In  1773  Messrs  Wedgwood  &  Bentley  issued  their 
first  catalogue  of  goods.  It  is  a  curious  document, 
and  seems  to  have  been  designed  for  customers  who 
did  not  have  the  opportunity  of  visiting  the  ware- 
house in  Great  Newport  Street. 

It  does  not  include  the  cream  ware,  in  which  Bentley 
had  no  share,  but  specifies; 

"First.  A  composition  of  terra-cotta  resembling 
porphyry,  lapis  lazuli,  jasper  and  other  beautiful 
stones,  of  the  vitrescent  or  crystalline  class. 

"  Second.  A  fine  black  porcelain,  having  nearly  the 
same  properties  as  the  basaltes. 

*'  T/iird.  A  fine  white  biscuit  ware  or  terra-cotta, 
polished  or  unpolished." 

The  last  of  the  three  was  used  for  vases,  medallions, 
stands,  etc.,  and  sometimes  for  portraits  on  a  field  of 
black  basaltes. 

In  the  second  edition  of  the  catalogue  there  was  a 
fourth  ware  enumerated. 

''Foitrth.  A  fine  white  terra-cotta  of  great  beauty  and 
delicacy,  proper  for  cameos,  portraits  and  bas-reliefs." 

This  was  the  first  appearance  of  what  became  the 
most  popular,  and,  to  many  people,  the  most  beautiful 
of  Wedgwood's  productions,  jasper  ware.  A  flower 
holder  is  given  in  FiG.  129. 

In  the  last  catalogue  published,  1787,  this  ware  had 
arrived  at  its  greatest  perfection  and  was  now  widely 
known  as  jasper.  This  is  how  the  catalogue  sets  its 
merits  down  : 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.      211 

"  FourtJi.  Jasper  a  white  porcelain  bisque  of  exquis- 
ite beauty  and  delicacy,  possessing  the  general  quali- 
ties of  the  basaltes  together  with  that  of  receiving 
colours  through  its  whole  substance,  in  a  manner 
which  no  other  body,  ancient  or  modern  has  been 
known  to  do.  This  renders  it  peculiarly  fit  for  cameos, 
portraits  and  all  subjects  in  bas-relief,  as  the  ground 
may  be  made  of  any  colour  throughout  without  paint 
or  enamel,  and  the  raised  figures  are  the  pure  white." 

The  magnificent  productions  of  the  Wedgwood 
Works  and  the  fame  acquired  by  the  Catherine  of 
Russia  and  other  royal  services  had  given  an  impetus 
to  the  sales  of  the  wares  outside  of  England.  There 
was  such  a  call  for  them  on  the  Continent  that  as 
early  as  1774  what  was  called  a  third  edition  of  the 
catalogue  was  issued,  translated  into  French. 

The  broad  spirit  of  this  noble  potter  is  shown  in 
his  turning  his  attention  from  these  objects  of  beauty 
which  were  his  delight  to  such  simple  matters  as 
inkstands  and  eye-cups,  these  latter  being  sold  at  one 
shilling  each. 

The  catalogue  was  next  translated  into  Dutch,  and 
was  issued  at  Amsterdam  in  1778. 

Somewhere  about  this  time  Wedgwood  and  Bentley 
took  into  their  service  a  young  and  unknown  man, 
named  John  Flaxman,  and  it  was  due  to  the  steady  cm- 
ployment  and  encouragement  given  by  these  potters 
that  the  sculptor  was  gradually  able  to  work  his  way 
upward. 

No  adequate  list  of  the  patterns  and  groups  designed 
and  modelled  by  Flaxman  for  Wedgwood  is  extant. 
With  the  characteristic  generosity  of  Wedgwood  the 
prices  paid  to  Flaxman  from  the  very  first  were  liberal. 


212  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

In  1783,  the  year  after  the  marriage  of  Flaxman  to 
Ann  Denman — his  guiding  star — he  got  as  much  as  two 
pounds  ten,  for  modelling  a  portrait  for  a  ring  and  one 
pound  five,  for  one  of  the  chessmen  which  later  be- 
came so  famous.  Some  of  the  original  models  of 
these  seventeen  figures  in  wax  are  still  preserved  at 
Etruria,  in  a  sadly  dilapidated  condition,  it  is  true,  but 
showing  how  they  were  first  made  in  white  wax,  the 
"  cores,"  or  "  strengtheners,"  being  of  twisted  wire. 
It  was  not  known  just  where  or  when  the  game  of 
chess  originated,  some  authorities  making  it  an  East- 
ern amusement,  some  dating  it  from  the  fifth  century 
in  England.  So  Flaxman  felt  himself  at  liberty  to 
choose  as  he  would,  and  his  figures  are  of  the  Middle 
Ages.  He  selected  effigies,  figures  on  tombs,  and 
pictures  in  glass  as  his  models  for  kings  and  queens, 
knights  and  ladies. 

The  figures  were  often  in  white  jasper,  but  were  also 
made  in  blue,  black,  or  green,  the  bases  remaining 
white.  The  shape  of  the  base  varied  also,  and  was 
either  oval,  round,  or  square,  the  oval  shape  being  the 
earliest.  In  an  invoice  of  December  6,  1787,  the  vari- 
ous figures  are  charged  at  three  shillings,  one  penny, 
each.  Flaxman  drew  these  designs  at  various  times 
between  October,  1783,  and  March,  1785.  It  was  his 
method  to  draw  a  rough  sketch,  submit  it  to  Wedg- 
wood, and,  if  approved,  to  make  a  careful  drawing. 
The  drawings  from  which  these  chessmen  were  finally 
modelled  were  sent  to  Etruria  in  March,  1785,  and  the 
price  charged  was  six  pounds,  sixpence.  The  model- 
ling seems  to  have  been  paid  for  in  addition.  It  is  not 
known  whether  chess  boards  were  made  to  go  with 
these  exquisite  figures.     Cribbage  boards  in  pale  blue 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.       213 

jasper,  with  decorations  in  white  relief,  were  made  a 
few  years  later,  and  are  occasionally  seen,  but  chess 
boards  would  have  been  larger  objects  than  could 
have  been  easily  made  in  this  composition.  In  1867, 
at  Christies,  were  sold  five  pieces  of  one  of  these  sets 
of  chessmen,  a  king,  queen  and  three  pawns.  They 
brought  twenty-one  dollars. 

All  the  original  models  were  made  larger  than  they 
were  intended  to  be,  so  as  to  allow  for  the  shrinkage 
by  fire.  When  the  model  had  been  made  a  mould 
was  made  from  it,  and  into  this  mould,  when  dried,  the 
prepared  clay  was  pressed.  If  the  original  model  was, 
say,  eight  inches  high,  its  copy  in  clay  would  be  eight 
inches  also.  After  passing  through  the  kiln,  how- 
ever, and  being  fired,  it  would  shrink  as  much  as  one- 
eighth,  in  every  way.  Thus  it  would  come  out  but 
seven  inches  high,  and  proportionally  smaller  in  every 
other  measurement. 

It  caused  much  wonder  how  pieces  could  be  pro- 
duced precisely  alike,  yet  varying  in  size,  say  from  ten 
inches  to  such  tiny  things  as  were  fit  for  an  ear-drop 
or  a  jewel  in  a  ring.  It  was  easily  managed.  A 
mould  was  taken,  say  from  the  piece  just  mentioned, 
which  had  shrunk  from  eight  to  seven  inches,  and 
from  each  successive  size,  the  reduction  being  a  loss  of 
one-eight  of  its  then  size,  till  it  was  reduced  to  the 
wished-for  dimensions. 

In  the  year  1770,  on  the  twenty-sixth  of  November, 
Thomas  Bentley  died,  and  later  on  Wedgwood  took 
as  partners  his  own  sons  and  Thomas  Byerley.  In 
1783  there  occurred  at  Etruria  a  "bread  riot,"  which 
was  quelled,  and  peace  restored,  chiefly  by  Wedg- 
wood's   own    efforts.     By     1785,    Wedgwood,    never 


214  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

pausing  in  his  efforts  at  improvement,  introduced  a 
"jasper  dip  "  in  which  clay  vessels  were  immersed  and 
so  received  a  coating  of  jasper  instead  of  being  formed 
of  it  throughout.  It  made  the  goods  more  costly, 
however,  and  Wedgwood  writes  to  Bentley :  "  The 
new  jasper,  white  within,  will  be  the  only  sort  made 
in  the  future ;  but  as  the  workmanship  is  nearly 
double  the  price  must  be  raised.  I  think  it  must  be 
about  twenty  per  cent." 

In  the  next  year,  1786,  came  the  sale  of  the  marvel- 
ous  collection  of  antiquities  and  bric-a-brac  belonging 
to  the  late  Duchess  of  Portland.  In  this  sale  was  in- 
cluded that  unique  work  so  highly  extolled,  the 
"  Barberini  Vase,"  so  called  from  having  belonged  to 
the  famous  Barberini  family  at  Rome.  It  came  from 
them  by  purchase  to  Sir  William  Hamilton,  who,  in 
his  turn,  sold  it  to  the  Duchess  of  Portland,  when  it 
became  known  as  the  Portland  Vase. 

Every  one  knows  how  Wedgwood  admired  this 
vase,  attended  the  sale,  bid  against  the  son  of  the 
Duchess,  who  desired  to  retain  the  treasure,  and  rose 
in  his  bids  till  the  Duke  crossed  the  room  and  asked 
his  reasons  for  wishing  to  own  the  piece.  Wedgwood 
told  of  his  desire  to  copy  it,  and  the  Duke  of  Portland 
promised  to  allow  this  if  Wedgwood  would  stop  bid- 
ding and  allow  the  Duke  to  keep  it.  This  arrange- 
ment was  accepted  by  Wedgwood ;  the  Duke  paid 
1,029  pounds  ($5,145  dollars);  and  Wedgwood  took 
home  with  him  this  gem.  He  says :  "  I  can  not  suffi- 
ciently express  my  obligation  to  his  Grace,  the  Duke 
of  Portland,  for  entrusting  this  inestimable  jewel  to 
my  care,  and  continuing  it  so  long — more  than  twelve 
months — in  my  hands,  without  which  it  would  have 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.       215 

been  impossible  to  do  any  tolerable  justice  to  this 
rare  work  of  art.  I  have  now  some  reason  to  flatter 
myself  with  the  hope  of  producing  in  a  short  time  a 
copy  which  will  not  be  unworthy  the  public  notice." 

The  copy  was  made  in  due  time,  and  as  an  example 
of  modern  ceramic  art  could  not  be  excelled.  Fifty 
copies  were  made,  all  of  which  were  subscribed  for. 
The  vase  was  made  by  Wedgwood  with  both  black 
and  dark  blue  grounds.  The  original  moulds  are  still 
in  existence,  and  copies  are  even  now  produced  by 
the  Wedgwoods  at  their  own  works. 

At  this  time,  in  his  own  manufactory  at  Etruria, 
Wedgwood  was  making  such  perfect  works  of  art  as 
that  shown  in  FiG.  130.  The  earliest  one  of  these  was 
made  in  1781,  and  shown  to  the  public  in  the  show 
rooms  in  Greek  Street,  Soho. 

In  some  way  the  notion  had  become  prevalent  that 
Mr.  Bentley  was  the  originator  of  the  most  beautiful 
works  put  forth  since  his  connection  with  the  orna- 
mental branch,  and  it  was  largely  to  counteract  this 
idea  that  the  exhibition  was  held  the  year  after  his 
death.  All  the  Wedgwood  and  Bentley  stock  was 
shown,  and  in  separate  cases  the  newest  and  most 
artistic  productions  of  Wedgwood  himself,  for  by  1761 
the  difficult  operation  of  firing  large  masses  of  jasper 
had  been  mastered,  snd  he  had  been  able  to  colour 
his  composition  sea-green,  light  and  medium  blue,  and 
also  black.  The  finest  vases  of  this  period  were  decor- 
ated with  Flaxman's  designs,  "The  Dancing  Hours," 
"  Apollo  and  the  Nine  Muses,"  "  An  Offering  to  Flora," 
"  Tragedy,  Comedy  and  Apollo,"  and  others. 

These  subjects  were,  of  course,  continued  during 
the  whole  period  of  vase  making,  with  infinite  variety 


2i6  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

of  detail  as  to  ornament.  Wedgwood  speaks  of  these 
vases  in  a  letter  to  Sir  William  Hamilton,  dated  June 
24,  1786:  "One  thing  I  persuade  myself  you  will 
observe,  that  they  have  been  objects  of  very  great 
care,  every  ornament  and  leaf  being  first  made  in  a 
separate  mould,  and  then  laid  upon  the  vase  with  great 
care  and  accuracy,  and  afterwards  wrought  over  again 
upon  the  vase  itself  by  an  artist  equal  to  the  work  ; 
for  from  the  beginning  I  determined  to  spare  neither 
time  nor  expense  in  modelling  and  finishing  my  orna- 
ments, and  I  have  the  satisfaction  to  find  that  my 
plan  has  hitherto  met  with  the  approbation  of  my 
friends,  for  the  purchasers  of  every  nation  declare 
them  to  be  the  highest  finished  and  cheapest  ornaments 
now  made  in  Europe." 

The  vase  shown  in  FiG.  130  is  absolutely  faultless. 
It  is  in  a  medium  shade  of  blue,  with  the  figures  in 
white.  Observe  the  grace  of  the  festoons  of  flowers, 
the  perfection  of  the  signs  of  the  Zodiac.  No  detail 
but  can  bear  the  closest  scrutiny,  and  it  will  but  re- 
veal fresh  excellences  under  the  magnifying  glass. 

Lady  Templeton's  small  groups  of  children,  etc., 
first  appeared  about  1786.  Lady  Diana  Beauclerk's 
came  later,  as  did  Miss  Crewes's. 

The  pedestals  and  tripods  often  used  as  supports  to 
the  jasper  vases  must  be  noted  too.  Suitable  size 
seems  to  have  been  the  chief  factor  sought  in  their 
choice,  for  there  never  seems  to  have  been  any  match- 
ing of  patterns.  If  size  and  colour  were  adaptable,  this 
was  sufficient.  The  height  of  these  vases  ranges  from 
seven  and  one-quarter  inches  to  nineteen  and  one-half, 
the  average  being  from  ten  and  one-half  to  thirteen 
and    one-half   inches.     Many    of   the    choicest    vases 


Fig.  130.    JASPER  VASE,  BLUE  AXD  WHITE. 
Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts. 


Fig.  131.     JASPER  VASE,  LILAC  AND  WHITE. 
Modelled  by  Hackwood.     Bost"D  Museum  of  Fine  Arts. 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.        217 

are  from  eleven  to  sixteen  and  one-half  inches  in 
height. 

In  1787  the  scale  of  prices  was  as  follows,  nothing 
being  said  as  to  decoration :  Seven  and  one-half 
inches,  one  pound,  one  shilling.  Nine  inches,  one 
pound,  eleven  shillings  and  sixpence.  The  prices  rose 
in  proportion  to  size  and  ornament  until  the  maxi- 
mum of  thirty  guineas  was  reached,  a  price  cheerfully 
paid  to-day  for  one  of  the  smallest  ones. 

The  vase  shown  in  FiG.  131  has  more  variety  in 
colour  than  is  usual  in  these  pieces.  The  body  of  the 
vase  is  lilac.  The  diaper  pattern  on  base  of  vase  and 
cover  is  alternate  squares  of  blue  and  white,  the  white 
square  being  decorated  with  quatrefoil  ornaments  in 
green.    The  beautiful  pattern  on  pedestal  is  also  green. 

These  old  vases  are  fastened  to  the  pedestals  by 
nuts  and  screws,  and  these  bits  of  metal  have  become 
one  of  the  methods  by  which  the  old  Wedgwood — 
prior  to  1795 — may  be  told  from  the  more  modern. 
If  the  objects  were  made  before  1780  the  nuts  and 
screws  are  of  iron,  not  cast  but  beaten,  and  the  metal 
is  rough  and  scaly  and  always  very  black.  In  some 
cases  the  screw  works  in  a  sunk  box,  but  this  is  un- 
usual. Later  there  were  used  brass  nuts  and  screws, 
and  these  will  be  found  much  tarnished  with  age  and 
veiy  small.  In  July,  I775>  Wedgwood  mentions 
twenty  dozen  screws  being  sent  from  London  to 
Etruria  for  vases,  but  the  greater  part  of  the  work 
was  done  in  London  by  a  man  named  Palenthorpe. 
Spurious  pieces  of  Wedgwood  often  have  the  nuts 
covered  with  cement  or  plaster  of  Paris  so  as  to  con- 
ceal their  newness,  and  of  all  such  appliances  one 
should  beware. 


2x8  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

Writing  as  late  as  1789,  in  regard  to  this  jasper  ware, 
Wedgwood  says  :  "  For  when  the  workman  has  finished 
with  them  they  have  a  long  and  hazardous  fire  to  pass, 
which  with  the  polishing  and  finishing  afterwards, 
takes  near  a  week,  and  in  this  burning  they  are  liable 
to  various  and  unavoidable  accidents  in  which  case  we 
are  obliged  to  make  them  over  again  and  this  doubles 
the  time." 

No  one  can  help  admiring  the  fine  spirit  of  this 
great  man,  whose  ambition  was  to  excel  in  whatever 
he  laid  his  hand  to.  England,  a  land  of  blossom,  had 
hitherto  had  small  attention  paid  to  articles  in  which 
to  grow  her  plants  in  houses  and  conservatories.  The 
varieties  of  shapes  and  forms  invented  by  Wedgwood 
are  admirable,  and  lend  themselves  to  picturesque 
arrangement  never  before  approached. 

Beginning  with  the  common  red  flower-pot,  and 
passing  a  little  later  to  those  of  stone  ware,  both  grey 
and  white,  great  improvements  were  introduced.  The 
red  ones  became  more  shapely,  harmonious  colouring 
was  applied,  the  stoneware  had  simple  decorations  in 
festoons  or  medallions,  or  moulded  patterns.  The 
famous  green  glaze,  one  of  Wedgwood's  earliest 
achievements,  was  applied  to  what  he  called  "  flower, 
bough  and  root  pots,"  as  was  the  well-known  cream 
ware,  and  flower  pots  of  this  became  as  popular  as 
table  sets.  The  very  largest  myrtle-pots  were  hooped, 
and  on  many  of  the  smaller  sized  ones  were  repeated 
the  popular  patterns.  Goat's  heads,  masks  and  dol- 
phins were  used  for  handles.  Then  basaltes  and 
terra-cotta  bodies  were  employed  and  more  classical 
forms  adopted.  Bas-reliefs  were  applied,  and  stands, 
pedestals,  and  plinths  were  used  as  supports. 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.       219 

In  Fig.  132,  modelled  by  Hackwood,  is  shown  the 
highest  perfection  these  elegant  flower  stands  achieved. 
It  is  in  a  brownish  lilac  with  figures  and  ornaments  in 
white,  with  perforated  cover  in  which  the  stems  of 
the  plants  were  held  in  place.  There  are  collections 
containing  myrtle  pans,  bouquetiers  and  root  pots 
only,  and  the  number  of  these  articles  is  exceedingly 
large.  There  are  some  of  these  pieces  to  be  met  with 
even  yet,  and  the  plainest  is  to  be  eagerly  seized  upon. 
Within  the  last  eighteen  months  I  have  seen  a  fruit 
stand,  cabbage  leaf  pattern,  with  base  of  tortoise  shell 
ware,  which  was  sold  at  auction  in  a  small  house  in 
the  interior  of  New  York  State.  A  woman  bought  it 
for  ten  cents,  and  a  china  fancier  who  happened  in 
asked  to  see  it.  It  was  marked  with  the  name  "  Wedg- 
wood," impressed,  and  as  well  as  could  be  told  in  the 
hasty  glance  given  it,  belonged  to  the  old  period. 
An  offer  was  made  to  the  purchaser,  of  a  brand  new 
pretty  white  dish  in  its  stead,  which  was  eagerly 
accepted,  the  purchaser  declaring  she  only  "  bought  it 
because  it  was  going  so  cheap."  It  proved  to  be  an 
old  piece,  for  after  Wedgwood  had  made  his  green 
glaze  satisfactory  he  no  longer  combined  it  with  mot- 
tled ware. 

In  1787  the  sixth  and  last  edition  of  the  catalogue  in 
English  issued  during  Wedgwood's  life  was  published. 
There  have  been  two  English  reprints  since,  one  in 
1817  and  one  in  1873.     The  title  reads: 

"  Catalogue  of  Cameos,  Intaglios,  Medals,  Bas-re- 
liefs, Busts  and  small  Statues;  with  a  general  account 
of  Tablets,  Vases,  Escritoires,  and  other  ornamental 
and  useful  articles.  The  whole  formed  in  different 
kinds   of   porcelain  and  terra-cotta,    chiefly  after  the 


220  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

antique  and  the  finest  models  of  modern  artists.  By 
Josiah  Wedgwood,  F.R.S.  and  A.S. ;  Potter  to  Her 
Majesty,  and  to  his  Royal  Highness,  the  Duke  of 
York  and  Albany.  Sold  at  his  rooms  in  Greek  Street, 
Soho,  London,  and  at  his  manufactory  in  Stafford- 
shire. The  sixth  edition  with  additions.  Etruria, 
1787." 

This  catalogue,  a  pamphlet  of  seventy-four  closely 
printed  pages,  gives  lists  of  the  products  in  double 
columns.  It  speaks  of  the  four  bodies  already 
mentioned  and  gives  two  others  which  he  had  perfected 
since  the  previous  edition  in  1779.     They  are  : 

^'Fifth.     Bamboo,  or  cane-coloured  porcelain. 

Sixth.  A  porcelain  bisque  of  extreme  hardness, 
little  inferior  to  that  of  agate.  This  property,  to- 
gether with  its  resistance  to  the  strongest  acids  and 
corrosives,  and  its  impenatrability  by  every  known 
species  of  liquids,  adapts  it  happily  for  mortars  and 
different  kinds  of  chemical  vessels." 

Of  the  bamboo  or  cane-coloured  ware  specimens 
exist  in  most  collections,  and  Wedgwood  mortars  have 
a  world-wide  reputation. 

In  1788,  on  October  20,  the  partner  in  the  "useful 
wares,"  Thomas  Wedgwood,  died,  and  Josiah  was  left 
with  both  branches  of  his  large  business  on  his  hands. 
On  January  18,  1790,  Josiah  Wedgwood  took  into 
partnership  his  three  sons,  John,  Josiah,  and  Thomas, 
and  also  his  nephew,  the  style  of  the  firm  being  Josiah 
Wedgwood,  Sons,  and  Byerley.  The  latter  held  a  one- 
eighth  interest  in  the  firm  until  his  death  in  18 10. 

In  1795  on  January  3,  Josiah  Wedgwood  died,  and 
on  the  sixth  his  remains  were  buried  in  the  Church  of 
St.  Peter,  Stoke-upon-Trent.     Unfortunately  his   last 


F,-.  ij..     JASPKR   FI.OWER-I'OT  OR   "  BOUGH^I'<  )T."     LH.AC  AXD  WHITE. 
Modelled  by  Hackwood.     Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts. 


SILVER  LUSTRE  CANDLE-STICKS. 

'Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts. 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.        221 

illness  was  painful,  probably  cancer  of  the  mouth, 
called  in  those  days  "  mortification,"  and  he  lingered 
in  suffering  for  three  weeks. 

A  tablet  has  been  put  up  in  the  Church  of  St. 
Peter,  rehearsing  his  virtues  and  his  works,  but  a  more 
enduring  monument  was  built  by  the  man  himself  in 
sending  out  into  the  world  works  of  so  fine  a  character 
that  each  one  was  as  perfect  as  its  nature  permitted. 
To-day  as  yesterday  his  name  sets  a  standard  by 
which  other  potters  are  measured,  and  in  more  than 
one  hundred  years  since  his  death  no  work  can  equal 
his. 

Although  many  examples  of  his  handiwork  have 
been  illustrated,  there  were  many  others  equally  fine 
which  have  not  been  touched  upon.  Wedgwood  him- 
self divided  his  ornamental  productions  into  twenty 
classes  which,  briefly,  are  as  follows  : 

Class  One.  This  comprised  intaglios  and  medallions 
cut  from  antique  gems  and  from  the  finest  models 
which  can  be  procured  from  modern  artists.  By  1787 
no  less  than  1032  separate  designs  had  been  issued. 
There  were  two  sections  into  which  this  first  class  was 
subdivided,  first  the  cameos  and  second  the  intaglios. 
Roughly  speaking  a  cameo  stands  out  in  relief  from 
the  background,  while  the  intaglios  are  cut  into  the 
background.  The  cameos  were  made  in  jasper  with 
coloured  grounds,  or  in  plain  white  bisque.  Ai  early 
as  1775  Wedgwood  wrote  he  was  absolutely  sure  of 
blue  "  of  almost  any  shade,  and  likewise  a  beautiful 
sea-green  and  several  other  colours  for  grounds."  In 
the  cameos  were  subjects  taken  from  Egyptian, 
Grecian  and  Roman  mythology,  War  of  Troy,  Roman 
history,  Illustrious   Moderns,  etc.     The  intaglios  took 


322  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

a  fine  polish  and  were  often  made  in  imitation  of  vari- 
ous  coloured  agates  or  other  stones.  Most  of  these 
intaglios  were  made  for  rings,  seals,  bracelets  or 
brooches,  and  were  generally  to  be  mounted  in  gold. 
Portraits  of  people  were  also  cleverly  produced  in  seals, 
the  original  model  being  made  in  wax  by  Flaxman, 
Hackwood,  or  some  other  of  Wedgwood's  best  artists. 
Wedgwood's  quaint  way  of  setting  forth  his  wares 
shows  how  well  he  appreciated  their  excellence  : — 

"  If  gentlemen  or  ladies  choose  to  have  models  of 
themselves,  families  or  friends  made  in  wax,  or  cut  in 
stones  of  proper  size  for  seals,  rings,  lockets  or  brace- 
lets, they  may  have  as  many  durable  copies  of  these 
models  as  they  please  either  in  cameo  or  intaglio,  for 
any  of  the  above  purposes  at  a  moderate  expense.  If 
the  nobility  and  gentry  should  please  to  encourage 
this  design,  they  will  not  only  procure  for  themselves 
everlasting  portraits,  but  have  the  pleasure  of  giving 
life  and  vigour  to  the  arts  of  modelling  and  engraving, 
etc." 

The  cost  of  these  wax  models,  to  be  produced  of  a 
proper  size  for  ring  or  bracelet,  was  three  guineas  each. 
After  the  first  model  was  made  copies  were  much 
cheaper — at  five  shillings  each — and  not  fewer  than  ten 
could  be  ordered. 

These  intaglios,  when  of  antique  subjects,  were 
"  pirated  "  boldly.  One  of  the  worst  offenders  was 
Voyez,  who  even  forged  Wedgwood's  name.  Many 
of  these  spurious  intaglios  are  scattered  abroad,  but  a 
moment's  comparison  with  an  original  will  reveal  the 
copies'  lack  of  polish,  colour,  and  finish. 

Class  Two,  in  Wedgwood's  division,  included  bas- 
reliefs,  medallions  and   tablets.      Three  hundred  and 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.       223 

more  distinct  groups  were  made  by  him  and  his  staff  of 
artists.  The  bas-reliefs  were  generally  made  in  jasper 
of  two  colours,  and  were  used  to  set  in  furniture,  cabi- 
nets, fireplaces,  etc.  Some  of  the  fine  old  English 
country  seats  are  still  decorated  with  these  tablets, 
which  date  from  Wedgwood's  own  day.  Owing  to 
difficulty  in  firing,  these  early  bas-reliefs  were  small, 
six  inches  long  by  nine  high  ;  but,  at  last,  twenty-seven 
and  one  half  inches  long,  and  eight  and  one  half  inches 
high  were  obtained  for  such  subjects  as  "  Diana  visiting 
Endymion,  etc." 

These  tablets  were,  from  the  first,  very  costly,  even 
at  wholesale.  In  1787  one  invoice  gives  the  prices  of 
a  lot  of  tablets: — "One  long  square  tablet,  blue 
ground.  Apotheosis  of  Virgil,  7^  by  14^  £i6-i6s. 
One  ditto,  green  ground,  Apotheosis  of  Homer,  iJ^iS- 
l8s." 

Wedgwood  says,  in  1777,  long  before  they  arrived  at 
their  perfection,  "  The  jasper  tablets  want  nothing 
but  age  and  scarcity  to  make  them  worth  any  price 
you  would  ask  for  them." 

C/ass  Three  consisted  of  medallions  and  portraits, 
etc.,  of  kings,  queens  and  illustrious  persons  of  Asia, 
Egypt  and  Greece.  There  were  more  than  one  hun- 
dred of  these. 

Class  Four  dealt  with  ancient  Roman  history,  from 
the  foundation  of  the  city  to  the  end  of  the  Consular 
government,  including  the  age  of  Augustus.  Sixty 
medals,  from  Dassier,  were  in  this  class,  at  one  guinea 
a  set,  or  sixpence  each. 

Class  Five.     Forty  heads  of  illustrious  Romans. 

Class  Six  embraced  the  twelve  Caesars,  in  four 
sizes,  and  their  Empresses  in  one  size  only. 


224  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

Class  Seven.  Sequel  of  Emperors  from  Nerva  to 
Constantine,  fifty-two  in  all. 

Class  Eight,  The  popes,  two  hundred  and  fifty-six 
medallions.  To  those  who  took  the  whole  set,  they 
cost  threepence  each.     Singly,  sixpence  each. 

Class  Nine.  Kings  and  queens  of  France  and  Eng- 
land, one  hundred  heads,  sold  only  in  sets. 

Class  Ten  included  heads  of  "  Illustrious  Moderns." 
In  1787  there  were  two  hundred  and  thirty  heads 
named  in  the  catalogue,  which  were  made  not  only  in 
basaltes,  and  in  blue  and  white  jasper,  but  also  in  jas. 
per  of  one  colour  only.  These  latter  sold  at  a  shilling 
each. 

Under  such  favourable  conditions  medallion  portrai- 
ture became  very  popular.  Numerous  private  individ- 
uals, as  well  as  whole  families,  sat  to  a  modeller.  Many 
such  portraits  are  still  to  be  picked  up,  but  only  a  por- 
tion of  these  can  be  identified.  Among  the  many 
people  not  classified  in  the  catalogue  are  Erasmus 
Darwin,  Richard  L.  Edgworth,  Bentley  and  his  wife, 
Dr.  Small,  Flaxman,  William  Penn,  etc.  Many  of  the 
nobility  sat  for  their  portraits,  and  in  the  cases  where 
individual  beauty  was  marked  there  was  a  good  sale 
of  the  portraits  on  this  account.  Some  of  the  most 
successful  portraits  were  those  of  Lady  Finch  and  hef 
beautiful  daughters.  Flaxman  modelled  many  o! 
these  portraits,  though  it  is  impossible  to  say  definitely 
just  how  many.  It  is  known  positively,  however,  that; 
Mrs.  Siddons  sat  to  him  for  her  portrait.  So  did  Her- 
schel,  Dr.  Johnson,  the  King  of  Sweden,  the  Queen  of 
Portugal,  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds,  the  Duchess  of  Devon- 
shire, Queen  Charlotte,  and  a  long  list  of  other  nota- 
bles. 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.       225 

The  most  numerous  portraits  in  this  class,  modelled 
by  any  one  man,  were  those  made  by  William  Hack- 
wood.  All  the  Wedgwoods  and  Bentleys  and  their 
families  and  friends  sat  to  him,  and  almost  all  visitors 
of  note  who  came  to  England  visited  Etruria  and  left 
models  of  their  faces. 

Class  Eleven.  This  was  headed,  "  Busts,  small 
statues,  boys  and  animals."  It  included  many  of  his 
notable  works,  chiefly  the  large  busts  of  distinguished 
persons  which  have  now  become  so  rare.  Black  ba- 
saltes  was  the  material  used,  and  some  busts  were 
twenty-five  inches  high,  while  eighty  others  of  well- 
known  persons  ranged  from  twenty-two  to  four  inches 
in  height.  There  were  also  ornamental  figures  of 
sphinxes  and  of  various  animals. 

Busts  were  made  occasionally  in  red,  in  white  and 
in  cane-coloured  terra-cotta.  Rousseau  and  Voltaire 
were  made  in  this  latter  material.  In  Russia  these 
busts  had  a  great  vogue,  and  in  Holland  after  the 
issue  of  those  of  the  De  Witts,  Prince  of  Orange, 
Grotius  and  others  the  demand  became  extraordinary. 
Amsterdam  was  the  center  of  trade  and  agents  were 
needed  in  nearly  every  town. 

Hackwood's  skill  in  modelling  was  truly  wonderful 
when  it  is  considered  that  he  made  these  busts,  life- 
size  from  small  statues,  prints  or  antique  gems.  I 
refer  to  such  busts  as  Homer,  Cicero,  Venus  de  Med- 
ici, Sappho,  etc.  They  were  most  spirited  and  life-like, 
and  they  brought  very  large  prices,  even  at  whole- 
sale costing  three  pounds,  three  shillings,  and  the 
smallest  bringing  one  pound,  eleven  shillings  and  six, 
pence.  The  bust  of  Voltaire,  in  black,  had  a  large  sale 
among   the    clergy.      No    doubt    the    colour   seemed 


226  THE    OLD    CHINABOOK. 

indicative  of  the   philosopher's   connection    with    the 
devil. 

Copies  of  these  old  busts  are  still  made  at  Etruria, 
but  the  beauty  and  finish  of  the  old  ones  seem  lack- 
ing.  The  modern  busts  are  almost  always  marked 
with  three  letters  in  combination.  As  for  the  animals 
mentioned  in  this  class  few  survive.  Pug  dogs  are 
specified  and  elephants.  The  production  of  these 
latter  ceased  probably  because  they  did  not  sell  well. 
"  I  will  send  you  no  more  such  ponderous  animals  till 
you  have  sold  what  you  have.  For,  as  the  lad  said, 
'  I  fear  we  made  a  bull  when  we  first  made  an  ele- 
phant.' "  So  writes  Wedgwood.  These  figures  were 
sixteen  and  one  half  inches  long  by  fourteen  and  one 
half  inches  high.  Lions  and  bulls  were  made  in  high 
relief  in  ivory  composition. 

Under  this  class  come  the  little  groups  of  children, 
the  tritons,  grifBns,  tripods  and  candelabra.  Some  of 
these  were  modelled  by  Wedgwood  himself,  but  the 
larger  number  by  William  Bacon.  A  pair  of  tritons 
in  "  brown  earth  "  were  made  for  Thomas  Lombe,  Esq., 
in  1774,  and  cost  four  guineas.  Sometimes  the  tritons 
were  bronzed  and  sometimes  gilt.  In  FiG.  133  is 
shown  a  most  unique  pair,  of  dark  earthenware,  silver 
lustred.  This  lustre  was  first  applied  in  1791,  and 
was  seldom  used  to  cover  the  objects  entirely,  but 
usually  was  laid  on  in  a  pattern  upon  a  body  of  black. 
The  modelling  of  these  figures  is  exceptionally  fine 
and  full  of  strength. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  up  to  the  time  of  leav- 
ing Burslem,  in  1769,  Wedgwood,  like  the  other 
Staffordshire  potters,  made  many  small  figures  and 
ornaments    in    earthenware.      As   he    carried    all    his 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.       227 

moulds  and  patterns  with  him  it  is  probable  that  these 
were  made  for  many  years  longer,  for  they  were 
exceedingly  profitable,  and  there  was  a  brisk  demand 
for  them  to  ornament  dressers,  buffets,  mantel  shelves, 
etc.,  and  besides  being  on  sale  at  warehouses,  they  were 
sold  at  fairs  and  carried  all  over  the  country  by 
hawkers  and  dealers.  The  figures  varied  from  seven 
and  a  half  to  eight  and  a  half  inches,  and  were  brightly 
coloured  and  highly  glazed,  after  similar  productions 
from  Dresden,  Bow,  and  Chelsea.  The  preference 
was  for  shepherds  and  shepherdesses,  a  la  Watteau, 
singly  or  in  groups,  and  there  were  some  larger  fig- 
ures, of  Daphne,  Apollo,  cupids,  etc.  These  are 
found  marked  "Wedgwood"  in  large  letters,  and 
exact  copies  are  also  found  unmarked,  leading  one  to 
suppose  that  when  Wedgwood  made  finer  bodies  and 
more  elegant  objects,  he  grew  ashamed  of  these  inar- 
tistic pieces.  Marked  groups  and  pieces  of  this  early 
period  are  always  desirable,  and  show  in  the  strongest 
manner  the  wonderful  advance  which  was  made  in 
figure  work  under  Wedgwood's  impetus. 

Class  Twelve  included  lamps  and  candelabra. 
These  were  made  in  variegated  pebble  and  black 
basaltes,  and  sometimes  in  jasper  of  two  colours. 
There  were  never  many  of  these  made  and  they  have 
now  become  scarce  and  rare. 

Class  Thirteen  is  one  of  the  most  important  in  the 
whole  catalogue.  It  embraces  all  the  tea  and  coffee 
services  of  every  variety,  as  well  as  chocolate  sets, 
sugar  dishes,  cream  ewers,  with  cabinet  cups  and 
saucers,  and  all  the  articles  of  the  tea-table  and 
dejeuner  made  in  bamboo  and  basaltes,  plain  or  en- 
riched  with    Grecian   and  Etruscan  ornaments.     For 


228  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

the  very  choicest  cabinet  pieces  jasper  was  used,  and 
it  was  of  the  finest  and  most  transparent  character, 
and  of  intense  hardness,  yet  presenting  to  the  touch 
the  velvety  bloom  which  is  always  found  on  fine  pieces 
of  this  ware. 

Class  Fourteen  consisted  of  flower-  and  root-pots. 

Class  Fifteen  comprised  the  ornamental  vases  of  an- 
tique form,  of  agate,  jasper,  porphyry  and  other  stones 
of  the  crystalline  kind. 

Class  Sixteen  included  the  vases  of  black  porcelain 
or  artificial  basaltes.  These  graceful  and  choice  vases 
were  put  to  more  than  ornamental  uses,  for  one  was 
used  as  a  part  of  the  monument  to  Viscount  Chetwynd, 
in  Ashley  Church,  in  1770. 

Class  Seventeen  was  composed  of  all  the  styles  of 
objects,  vases,  tablets,  etc.,  which  were  decorated  with 
encaustic  paintings  of  Etruscan  and  Grecian  subjects. 

Class  Eighteen  included  all  the  magnificent  works 
of  art  formed  in  jasper  with  coloured  grounds  and  white 
relief  figures. 

Class  Nineteen  seems  hardly  to  come  under  the  head 
of  "ornamental,"  for  in  it  is  included  inkstands,  paint- 
chests,  eye-cups  and  chemical  vessels.  Among  the 
many  useful  inventions  made  by  Wedgwood,  one  of 
the  most  useful  was  an  inkstand  which  its  inventor 
claimed  prevented  the  ink  "  from  evaporating,  grow- 
ing thick  and  spoiling,  as  it  does  in  all  the  common 
inkstands."  These  stands  were  sold  in  connection 
with  sand  and  wafer  boxes,  and  were  in  jasper  of  two 
colours  as  well  as  basaltes.  Some  of  the  shapes  of  the 
pieces  were  extremely  elegant,  the  inkstands  and  boxes 
being  in  the  forms  of  Grecian  urns,  standing  in  a  long 
graceful  tray,  ornamented  with  heads  and  small  pat- 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.       229 

terns  on  the  edge.  While  one  can  but  admire  the 
artistic  spirit  and  ambitious  desire  to  have  his  work  as 
excellent  as  it  could  be  made,  which  always  animated 
Wedgwood,  it  is  also  admirable  to  see  how  he  worked 
to  make  his  productions  a  success  financially,  and  to 
spread  their  fame  world-wide.  He  sent  these  ink- 
stands broadcast  over  the  Continent,  England,  Ireland 
and  America,  and  there  is  scarcely  a  collection  which 
does  not  include  one  or  two. 

The  paint-chests  were  for  water-colour  painters,  and 
the  eye  cups,  made  of  compositions  imitating  different 
pebbles,  were  used  for  bathing  the  eyes.  There  were 
toilet-boxes,  also,  in  terra-cotta,  basaltes  and  jasper 
bodies,  which  were  exquisite.  They  were  used  to 
hold  pins,  patches,  pomatum,  rouge,  gloves  and  bows, 
tassels,  gold  and  silver  ornaments,  lace,  buckles,  rings 
and  knick-knacks.  They  could  be  bought  for  from 
three  shillings  up  to  twelve.  These  little  articles  have 
survived  time  and  change  in  small  numbers,  as  have 
the  paint-boxes,  for  people  no  longer  grind  and  mix 
their  own  colours  as  they  did  in  Wedgwood's  day. 

Class  Twenty,  the  last,  was  "  Thermometers  for 
measuring  strong  fire,  or  the  degrees  of  heat  above 
ignition." 

Besides  these  twenty  classes  of  goods,  which  were 
chiefly  ornamental,  at  the  end  of  the  catalogue  is  the  an- 
nouncement :  "  The  Queen's  Ware  of  Mr.  Wedgwood's 
manufacture,  with  various  improvements  in  the  table 
and  dessert  services,  tea  equipages,  etc.,  continues  to 
be  sold  as  usual  at  his  warehouse  in  Greek  Street,  Soho, 
and  at  no  other  place  in  London." 

Included  in  these  classes  already  enumerated,  but 
particularly  specified,  are  many  objects  of  the  greatest 


230  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

beauty.  Such  tiny  objects  as  strings  of  beads  for  the 
neck  and  arms  were  made  of  all  shades  of  jasper, 
daintily  decorated  in  white,  and  formed  ornaments  of 
exquisite  workmanship  and  colour. 

Drinking  cups,  copied  from  antique  specimens  in 
the  British  Museum,  were  made  as  early  as  1774. 
They  were  basaltes,  usually,  the  rims  edged  in  silver. 
There  were  some  in  the  form  of  a  fox's  head  mounted 
in  silver,  "  Druid  Mugs,"  "  Sportsmen's  Drinking 
Mugs,"  with  the  well-known  design  of  hare  and  hounds 
and  huntsmen,  with  which  we  are  familiar  on  jugs. 
The  earliest  of  these  have  a  brown-glazed  ground. 
Pipe  heads,  also  came  under  his  notice,  and  he  formed 
beautiful  ones  in  basaltes,  and  jasper,  these  latter  hav- 
ing, usually,  a  blue  body  with  white  figures.  These 
heads  were  used  with  reeds  for  drawing  the  smoke 
through,  and  snufT  and  tobacco-boxes  are  also  men- 
tioned. Wedgwood  made  hookah  vases  for  export  to 
the  East.  Jasper  was  the  body  employed  and  the  dec- 
oration was  very  elegant,  the  metal  appliances  being 
silver  or  silver  gilt. 

Trays  of  every  size  and  shape  were  made  to  hold 
various  objects.  They  were  oval,  octagonal,  square, 
elongated,  or  round,  fluted  or  engine-turned,  and  dec- 
orated with  reliefs.  Always  charming,  the  jasper  trays 
were  of  great  beauty,  as  were  the  encaustic  ones.  The 
cream-ware  trays  were  simply  fluted,  and  of  varying 
shades  of  cream.  In  jasper  you  might  choose  to  grace 
a  boudoir  in  pale  sea-green,  olive,  lilac,  slate,  light, 
medium  or  dark  blue.  Many  of  these  trays  with  their 
services  are  still  extant.  Mr.  Gladstone,  who  was  a 
china  collector  himself,  had  one  of  slate-coloured  jas- 
per, with  ornament  in  white,  and    quatrefoil   decora- 


WEDGWOOD   AND    HIS   WARES.        231 

tions.  These  trays  are  generally  found  with  the  name 
"  Wedgwood  "  incised  upon  them,  and  in  connec- 
tion with  the  letter  "  o  "  or  figure  "  3  "  or  both  to- 
gether. 

Wine-coolers,  made  upon  the  principle  of  absorp- 
tion and  evaporation  were  introduced  before  1787. 
They  were  in  an  unglazed  red  ware  were  elegant  in 
form,  and  appropriately  decorated  with  garlands  of 
grapes  and  vine  leaves. 

Brown  glazed  tart  and  pie-dishes  were  made  in  quan- 
tities, and  from  I793  to  1802  they  were  largely  in  de- 
mand. During  Josiah  Wedgwood's  life  Champion's 
patent  for  the  sole  use  of  certain  Cornish  clays  pre- 
vented his  making  porcelain,  and  it  was  with  difficulty 
that  he  kept  his  choicer  wares  from  assuming  this  tex- 
ture, so  it  was  never  made  at  Etruria  until  about  1805- 
1806,  when  soft  paste  porcelain  was  manufactured,  and 
continued  until  181 5  when  it  was  discontinued. 

Frames  in  earthenware  were  made  at  an  early  date, 
but  were  found  too  perishable  to  become  popular. 
Friezes  were  made  of  many  of  the  choicest  designs, 
and  the  dining-room  and  drawing-room  at  Etruria  Hall, 
as  well  as  these  same  rooms  in  Mr.  Bentley's  house  at 
Turnham  Green  were  thus  decorated,  as  well  as  several 
houses  for  the  nobility.  There  were  pastile  burners 
in  many  shapes  and  sizes  in  which  pastiles  or  perfumed 
paste  could  be  burned.  Like  the  pot-pourri  vases  they 
have  perforated  lids  for  the  odour  to  escape.  They 
were  made  of  a  variety  of  bodies,  but  most  often  in  red 
and  black.  The  pot-pourri  jars  were  made  in  Josiah 
Wedgwood's  time,  but  the  pastile  burners  were  intro- 
duced about  1805,  and  were  made  in  the  old  moulds. 
They  were  used  not  only  in  cases  of  sickness  but  were 


232  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

set  on  stairways  in  halls  and  rooms  for  perfuming  the 
whole  house. 

There  are  specimens  of  a  shiny  black  ware  which 
are  not  at  all  uncommon  in  tea-sets  and  coffee-potSj 
decorated  with  gaudy  flowers,  either  peonies  or  chrysan- 
themums, which  are  sometimes  declared  to  be  old 
Wedgwood.  This  is  not  true.  They  were  not  made 
till  about  1805,  and  continued  in  vogue  till  1815. 

Supper  sets  are  very  rarely  met  with  now.  They 
consisted  of  four  separate  covered  dishes  either  flat  or 
raised,  which  nest  together  and  form  four  divisions  of 
a  circle,  the  central  space  being  occupied  by  a  pile  of 
twelve  plates,  and  surmounted  by  a  sauce-dish.  The 
trays  were  of  the  same  material  as  the  service,  or  of 
some  rich  inlaid  wood. 

I  am  occasionally  asked  if  it  is  possible  to  obtain 
specimens  of  Wedgwood  in  this  country.  Certainly 
it  is,  though  the  choice  pieces,  of  course,  command 
large  prices.  In  another  part  of  this  chapter  I  have 
spoken  of  the  cabbage-leaf  compote  which  was  picked 
up  for  a  few  cents,  and  since  then  I  have  seen  an  ex- 
quisite  dish  of  the  old  "  green  glaze,"  twelve  inches 
long,  and  oval  in  shape,  with  raised  decoration  in 
strawberry  leaves  and  fruit.  It  was  bought  for  one 
dollar  at  a  second-hand  store,  both  buyer  and  seller 
thinking  it  a  piece  of  "  Majolica,"  and  the  purchaser 
taking  it  for  its  fine  colour.  On  the  back  is  the  mark 
"  J.  W."  impressed  in  script  under  the  glaze,  and  every 
detail  of  the  pattern  is  carried  out  with  great  care. 
The  printed  cream-ware  with  pretty  patterns  can  some- 
times be  had  for  one  dollar  a  plate,  and  there  are 
many  jugs  with  his  well-known  patterns  on  them,  some 
quite  unmistakable  for  their  fineness  and  finish. 


Fig.  134.     WEDGWOOD'S  PATTERNS. 


Fig.  136.    LAVENDER  PORCELAIN  JUG. 


WEDGWOOD    AND    HIS    WARES.       233 

In  Fig.  134  is  shown  a  group,  not  all  Wedgwood's, 
but  bearing  designs  he  originated.  They  have  been 
slowly  gathered  in  the  South  and  one  of  particular 
interest  is  the  smallest  in  the  front  row,  which  belonged 
to  Thomas  Jefferson,  and  from  which,  for  many  years, 
he  drank  his  milk  and  water  tea. 

The  two  large  ones  on  the  upper  row  are  in  cane- 
coloured  ware  with  bunches  of  grapes,  and  different 
grains  on  the  panels  of  the  sides. 

Most  of  the  museums,  all  over  the  country,  have 
specimens  of  the  basaltes  and  jasper  wares,  and  no 
doubt  there  is  much  of  the  less  choice  wares  still 
tuclced  away  awaiting  recognition. 

The  product  of  no  other  factory  so  well  repays 
study  as  that  of  Wedgwood,  and  the  eulogy  on  his 
monument  seems  not  too  fulsome. 

SACRED  TO  THE   MEMORY  OF 

JOSIAH  WEDGWOOD,  F.R.S.  AND  S.A. 

Of  Etruria,  in  this  country. 

Born  August,  1730,  died  January  3,  1795. 

Who  converted    a  rude    and   inconsiderable  manufacture  into  an 

elegant  art  and  an  important  part  of  a  national  commerce. 

By  these  services  to  his  country  he  acquired  ample  fortune. 

Which  he  blamelessly  and  reasonably  enjoyed, 

And  generously  dispensed   for  the  reward  of  merit  and  the  relief 

of  misfortune. 
His  mind  was  inventive  and  original,  yet  perfectly  sober,  and  well 

regulated. 
His  character  was  decisive  and   commanding,  without  rashness  or 
arrogance, 
His  probity  was  inflexible,  and  his  kindness  unwearied  ; 
His  manners  simple  and  dignified  and  the  cheerfulness  of  his  tem- 
per was  the  reward  of  the  activity  of  his  pure  and  useful  life. 

He  was  most   loved  by  those  who  knew  him  best 

And  he  has  left  indelible  impressions  of  affection  and  veneration 

on  the  minds  of  his  family  who  have  erected  this  monument 

to  his  memory. 


CHAPTER  X. 
jugs,  teapots,  and  animals. 

Fig.  135. 

The  passion  for  collecting  old  china  extends  to  all 
sorts  and  conditions  of  men,  and,  in  certain  localities, 
seems  to  run  to  one  class  of  objects=  In  a  certain  city 
of  New  York  State  with  which  I  am  familiar  there  are 
more  than  six  collections  of  jugs  of  which  I  have  per- 
sonal knowledge,  and  in  certain  other  places  teapots 
are  the  objects  sought.  A  great  many  jugs — what 
true  collector  would  call  them  pitchers? — have  been 
shown  already,  and  mentioned,  but  there  are  legions 
more,  some  of  them  presenting  puzzles  which  the  col- 
lector would  gladly  solve. 

In  Fig.  136  is  shown  a  jug  which  is  still  open  to 
study.  It  is  of  porcelain  body,  of  a  splendid  shade  of 
lavender,  and  decorated  with  a  graceful  pattern  in 
white.  It  can  easily  be  seen  that  the  piece  was  made 
by  pouring  slip  into  a  mould,  for  there  are  many  irreg- 
ularities, particularly  in  the  base,  but  its  colour  is  so 
lovely  and  the  decoration  is  so  fine  that  the  smaller 
details  are  overlooked.  The  maker  was  probably 
Ridgway,  though  the  piece  is  unmarked,  for  there 
are  jugs  of  similar  material  but  less  graceful  shape, 
lavender  in  colour,  and  decorated  in  white,  marked  with 
his  name.  The  patterns  on  these  specimens,  which 
are  marked  Ridgway,  are  very  ornate,  winged  lions, 
with   fauns  pouring  wine   from  a  cup,  and  a  head  of 


JUGS,    TEAPOTS,    AND    ANIMALS.    235 

Bacchus  forming  the  lip.  There  is  a  beautiful  border 
of  grapes  and  leaves,  and,  except  in  the  matter  of 
shape,  this  is  a  handsomer  jug  than  that  in  FiG.  136. 
The  wliolesale  copying  of  wares  which  were  in  the 
least  popular  makes  one  cautious  about  naming  un- 
marked pieces.  I  have  seen  only  these  two  patterns 
in  this  lavender  porcelain,  which  is  very  brittle  in  its 
composition,  and  has  an  extreme  high  glaze. 

Fig.  137  is  a  nice  example  of  Davenport.  It  is  an 
earthenware  jug  in  the  Nautilus  pattern,  which  was 
so  popular,  and  is  painted  over  glaze,  not  printed. 
The  works  at  Longport  were  opened  in  1793  by  John 
Davenport,  who  made  stone  china  as  well  as  earthen- 
ware. The  body  of  this  jug  is  the  fine  cream  colour 
to  which  we  have  been  accustomed  in  the  Stafford- 
shire wares,  and  the  decoration  is  black,  pink  and 
green.  John  Davenport  believed  in  employing  the 
best  artists  obtainable  to  decorate  his  wares,  and  he 
made  very  choice  and  handsome  dinner  and  tea  ser- 
vices, as  well  as  many  minor  pieces.  He  got  some  of 
the  artists  from  Derby  to  work  for  him,  and  his  porce- 
lain sets,  which  were  made  later,  were  very  fine.  The 
name  is  generally  printed  on  the  pieces  in  red,  small 
capitals  being  used.  An  impressed  anchor  is  also  used 
with  the  name  "  Davenport-Longport,"  surrounding 
it  in  a  circle.  This  piece  is  comparatively  modern,  it 
is  marked  with  the  anchor,  dated  1838,  and  has,  be- 
sides, the  initials  of  the  person  it  was  made  for.  The 
factory  is  still  working,  and  sends  many  goods  to  this 
country;  the  name  of  the  firm  at  present  is  John 
Davenport  &  Sons. 

A  pretty  jug  is  also  given  in  FiG.  138.  It  is  Stafford- 
shire,  not    the   old   choice   blue,  but   brown.     It  is  by 


236  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

Clews,  and  belongs  to  his  "  Picturesque  Views"  series. 
The  view  is  Newburg,  Hudson  River,  though  it  is 
sometimes  labelled  "  Hudson  City,"  an  error  by  some 
careless  workman,  no  doubt.  This  jug  is  twelve  inches 
high,  and  was  intended  for  milk  or  cider.  No  collec- 
tion is  complete  without  as  many  of  these  Stafford- 
shire pieces  as  one  can  get  hold  of,  old  blue  preferably, 
and  if  not  that,  whatever  one  can.  There  is  infinite 
variety  in  the  shapes  and  scenes,  and  in  the  colours 
and  combinations.  Insensibly  these  jugs,  StafTord- 
shire  particularly,  lead  one  on  to  a  pastime  as  beguil- 
ing as  collecting  old  china.  When  you  have  some 
piece  with  a  view  unmarked,  the  next  point  of  interest 
is  to  settle  what  it  is.  You  turn  immediately  to 
second-hand  book  shops  and  look  over  all  the  old  his- 
tories of  this  country  you  can  find — everything  marked 
"  pictorial  "  that  comes  to  hand — in  hopes  of  verifying 
your  china.  There  are  many  of  these  old  books,  and 
somehow  they  gravitate  to  the  ten  or  fifteen  cent 
counter.  Even  if  you  don't  find  what  you  were  in 
search  of,  you  find  something  that  claims  your  atten- 
tion, the  price  asked  is  so  small,  and  lo,  before  you 
know  where  you  are,  you  are  on  the  road  to  becoming 
a  bookworm  ! 

Fig.  139  is  called  the  Minster  jug,  and  was  made 
by  Charles  Meigh.  Job  Meigh,  the  grandfather  of 
Charles,  started  the  "  Old  Hall  Works "  at  Hanley 
about  1770.  The  works  descended  from  father  to 
son,  and  then  to  grandson,  by  whom  they  were  con- 
tinued till  1861. 

Besides  the  blue  pottery  already  mentioned,  Charles 
Meigh  made  many  other  wares,  and  this  jug  of  stone- 
ware is  marked  and  dated  1846.     While  these  jugs  are 


Fig.  137.    DAVENPORT  JUG. 


Fig.  138.    NEWBURG  JUG. 


Fig.  139.    MINSTER  JUG. 


Fig.  140.    ARIADNE  JUG.    Alcock. 


Fig.  141.     ALCOCK  JUGS. 


JUGS,    TEAPOTS,    AND    ANIMALS.    237 

not  rare,  they  are  by  no  means  common,  and  the  beauty 
of  the  modelling  and  finish  makes  them  an  ornament 
to  any  collection.  Age  has  given  them  a  creamy  tone 
which  is  very  beautiful,  but  sometimes  they  develop 
spots,  which  may  be  cleaned  off  with  bread,  or,  if  these 
are  deep-seated,  warm  water,  soap,  and  a  soft  brush 
will  generally  remove  them. 

The  factory  started  by  the  elder  Job  was  sold  in 
1861,  as  has  been  mentioned,  and  it  is  now  largely 
devoted  to  the  manufacture  of  white  ware.  Its  pro- 
prietors claim  that  they  are  the  originators  of  an  en- 
tirely new  branch  of  ceramic  art,  and  I  should  be 
afraid  to  say  how  many  thousand  pieces  of  porcelain 
they  turn  out  yearly.  Their  circular  claims  that  they 
make  about  one  thousand  different  shapes  and  sizes  of 
porcelain  teeth,  varying  in  tint  from  the  pearly  one  of 
the  poet's  fancy  to  the  dark  brov/n  one  of  him  who 
uses  tobacco.  These  articles  are  moulded,  dipped  and 
fired  like  any  other  porcelain  goods,  and  a  motto  from 
some  of  Wedgwood's  writing  about  the  necessity  of 
doing  well  whatever  you  attempt,  hangs  in  a  conspicu- 
ous place  in  the  office.  One  wonders  if  they  classify 
their  products  as  Wedgwood  did,  into  the  ornamental 
and  the  useful ! 

In  Fig.  140  is  shown  a  pair  of  singularly  beautiful 
jugs,  from  the  works  of  Samuel  Alcock  &  Co.,  who 
owned  the  "  Hill  Top  Pottery,"  or  "  Hill  Pottery,"  at 
Burslem,  which  had  formerly  belonged  to  Ralph 
Wood.  If  one  may  judge  from  the  jugs  they  made, 
their  work  must  have  been  very  fine,  and  it  is  a  pity 
that  more  of  it  is  not  to  be  found.  These  works  were 
rebuilt  in  1839,  ^^^  the  Alcocks  had  worked  them  for 
many  years  previously.     In   i860  the  works  were  sold. 


238  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

but  the  date  of  the  jugs  is  said  to  be  about  1830,  and 
M.  Protat  is  given  as  the  modeller.  He  was  a  French- 
man, who  came  to  England  and  worked  for  several 
potters:— at  Etruria  for  the  Wedgwoods,  for  the  Min- 
tons,  and  for  the  Alcocks.  The  pair  of  jugs  shown 
are  of  an  ivory  tinted  parian,  with  the  figure  of 
Ariadne  in  an  exquisite  shade  of  lavender,  as  is  the 
vine  decoration  about  the  top.  The  edge  and  inside 
of  the  lip  are  richly  gilt.  In  the  Boston  Museum  of 
Fine  Arts  is  a  single  pitcher  on  loan  exhibition,  exactly 
like  this  pair  save  that  the  colours  are  reversed,  and 
that  the  body  is  lavender  of  a  most  exquisite  shade, 
and  the  figures  and  decorations  white. 

The  shade  of  lavender  used  by  this  firm  is  very 
beautiful ;  it  is  hard  to  compare  it  to  any  known  tint, 
for  violets  are  too  blue  and  lilacs  are  too  cold  to  give 
any  idea  of  its  warm  rosiness.  The  next  illustration. 
Fig.  141,  shows  four  more  Alcock  jugs  belonging  to 
the  same  collection  as  the  one  previously  shown,  and 
the  owner  of  which  has  the  most  phenomenal  luck, 
getting  her  jugs  in  pairs,  though  often  each  one  comes 
from  a  different  source.  Such  a  pair  is  seen  in  the 
first  and  third  pitchers,  which  bear  on  the  bottom 
these  words,  "  The  Distin  Family,  the  Saxe  Horn 
Performers."  On  the  jugs  arc  five  panels,  each  being 
a  portrait  of  a  member  of  the  family  with  his  instru- 
ment in  his  hand.  These  pitchers  have  the  interest- 
ing variation  of  being  white  figures  on  a  lavender 
ground  in  one  case,  and  lavender  on  a  white  ground  in 
the  other.  The  handle  has  a  horn  for  decoration,  and 
there  is  a  wealth  of  delicate  ornament  about  the  top 
and  on  the  base.  The  tall  graceful  jug  between  them 
has  an   Eastern  scene,  white  figures  on  a  pale  blue 


iUGS,  TEAPOTS,  AND  ANIMALS.  239 

ground,  and  the  fourth  and  last,  a  gypsy  tent  in  white 
and  lavender.  All  six  jugs  bear  the  Alcock  mark 
which  is  variously,  "Alcock  &  Co.,  Hill  Pottery,  Bur- 
slem,"  or  "  S.  Alcock  &  Co.,"  either  printed  or 
impressed,  which  I  fancy  was  the  earliest  mark  of  the 
firm,  though  very  little  is  to  be  learned  about  them. 

These  jugs  of  Alcock'sare  all  moulded  ware,  as  were 
most  of  Wedgwood's  and  all  the  early  English  potters. 
This  process  has  been  nearly  superseded  during  the 
past  forty  or  fifty  years  by  what  is  called  by  the  French 
term,  "  pate-sur-pate."  This  process  gives  an  effect 
similar  to  that  of  the  jasper  wares,  except  it  has  a  high 
glaze.  The  colours  used  for  the  background  are  grey, 
green  in  two  sliades,  and  a  dark  and  medium  brown. 
On  these  backgrounds  the  design  is  applied  in  white 
paste,  which  is  laid  on  in  successive  layers  with  a 
brush,  till  it  has  a  given  thickness,  and  forms  a  rough 
shape.  This  mound  of  paste  is  trimmed  and  rounded 
with  sharp  and  cutting  tools,  or  by  means  of  a  small 
scraper  until  it  has  the  required  form  and  thickness. 
After  the  bas-relief  is  made,  it  has  the  first  firing, 
which  welds  the  parts  together  and  gives  it  sufificient 
consistency  to  be  dipped  into  the  glaze.  Then  comes 
the  final  firing,  and  if  the  piece  is  successful — a  large 
proportion  is  not — the  result  is  charming.  The 
final  firing  fuses  the  white  paste  to  such  a  degree  that 
only  the  thicker  portions  remain  white,  the  thinner 
parts,  as  draperies,  etc.,  permit  the  background  to 
show  faintly  through,  which  gives  an  ethereal  char- 
acter to  the  work.  It  is  used  in  all  sorts  of  fanciful 
designs,  on  vases,  tablets,  placques,  and  the  colours, 
particularly  the  browns,  are  very  charming.  To 
Wedgwood's  fine  and  sharp  reliefs  it  bears  about  the 


240  THE   OLD   CHINA   BOOK. 

same  relation  as  a  water-colour  to  one  of  Rembrandt's 
oils.     Each  style  has  its  admirers. 

The  sharply  cut  relief  is  admirably  shown  in  FiG. 
142  where  the  jugs  shown  come  under  the  head  of 
"  Makers  Unknown."  The  pair  of  tall  jugs  are  quite 
remarkable  examples  of  bold  relief  and  the  undercut- 
ting brings  them  out  wonderfully.  You  may  almost 
hear  the  twang  of  the  bowstring  on  the  left-hand  jug, 
the  tenseness  of  the  figure  being  admirable.  The 
whole  design  is  very  spirited,  birds  as  well  as  boy,  and 
the  pure  white  gives  it  the  look  of  marble.  It  is  the 
central  jug,  however,  to  which  one  turns  again  and 
again.  Silenus,  quite  overcome  with  his  potations,  is 
supported  on  either  side  by  a  satyr,  their  goat's  legs 
and  pointed  ears  being  most  delicately  modelled. 
All  about  hang  bunches  of  grapes,  and  on  the  other 
side  the  infant  Bacchus,  deserted  by  his  drunken 
nurse,  is  stealing  a  ride  on  his  mule,  and  full  of  pleas- 
ure with  his  prank.  Who  would  ever  dream  of 
calling  this  bacchanalian  vessel  a  pitcher?  This  latter 
word  is  so  suggestive  of  such  temperate  fluids  as  milk 
or  water,  while  the  good  old-fashioned  word  "jug"  is 
fairly  redolent  of  those  spiced  and  steaming  mixtures 
which  formed  so  potent  an  element  in  the  daily  rations 
of  several  generations  ago.  It  seems  as  if  almost  any 
drink  would  taste  better  from  such  a  beaker,  and  I  do 
not  doubt  it  was  often  supped  from  the  jug  itself. 
Certainly  that  scallop  in  the  rim  seems  admirably 
formed  for  the  mouth.  Even  the  handle,  twisted  stems, 
is  appropriate  to  the  rest  of  the  design.  Nothing 
now-a-days  is  choice  enough  for  such  a  jug  but  the 
golden  wine  of  Andalusia,  made  from  such  grapes  as 
Bacchus  himself  loved. 


Fig.  142.    EAGLE  AND  SILENUS  JUGS. 


Fig.  143-    TOBY  JUGS. 


'  :^^^ 

'-^[^^ 

^-i*jfl--iiil( ' 

-^h- 

M 

ShHk             ^mJtMtS^k 

^^•^  »?/ 

Fig.  145.  GROUP  OF  TEAPOTS,  LUSTRE  DECORATIONS. 


JUGS,    TEAPOTS,    AND    ANIMALS.     241 

More  distinctly  formed  for  convivial  pleasure  is  a 
sort  of  jug  called  Toby,  named,  so  it  is  said,  from  a 
thirsty  old  soul,  Toby  Philpot,  whose  habit,  as  you 
might  say,  was  not  that  of  temperance.  In  our  head- 
piece the  central  ornament  is  such  a  Toby,  and  an  un- 
commonly genial  one.  He  is  rather  unusual  from  the 
fact  that  both  hands  are  occupied,  as  he  holds  both 
mug  and  jug,  and  from  the  benign  expression  of  his 
face,  which  is  really  delightful  in  its  genial  benevo- 
lence. The  faces  on  many  of  such  jugs  are  disagree- 
able and  leering  visages,  quite  enough,  one  would 
think,  to  dispel  all  wish  for  any  liquor  they  contained. 
Our  own  Toby  is  so  amiable  that  you  smile  with  him; 
no  doubt  it  was  such  a  jug  that  Gabriel  Varden  had, 
and  which  he  constantly  requested  Dolly  to  keep  re- 
plenished, and  nea*-  his  hand  on  the  table.  This  Toby 
is  unmarked,  probably  of  Staffordshire,  and  very  gay 
in  his  colours,  as  most  of  them  were.  His  red  coat 
and  green  trousers  make  a  fine  showing  on  the  high 
shelf  from  which  he  smiles  down,  and  this  smile  is  re- 
flected in  his  owner's  countenance  whenever  a  sugges- 
tion is  made  of  buying  him. 

In  Fig.  143  three  other  Tobys  are  shown.  The  cen- 
tral one  is  the  most  unique,  as  it  is  of  silver  lustre  on 
pottery.  It  is  most  unusual  in  every  way,  and  has, 
like  the  Toby  in  FiG.  135,  a  cheerful,  happy  smile.  It 
bears  signs  of  age  and  use,  and,  like  its  companions  in 
the  picture,  came  from  the  City  of  New  Orleans,  a  treas- 
ure house  indeed  for  the  hunter  of  antiques.  The 
large  Toby  is  a  famous  pattern,  Benjamin  Franklin 
taking  snuff.  It  is  a  very  fine  example,  in  good  condi- 
tion, and  its  record  is  known  for  eighty  years  back. 
Jugs  very  similar  to  this  are  made  in  England  to-day, 


242  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

but  they  are  not  of  this  creamy  old  bone  paste,  which 
surprises  you  by  its  extreme  lightness  every  time  you 
lift  an  article  made  of  it.  The  decoration  is  different 
also,  and  the  old  and  the  new  are  as  clearly  marked 
as  if  the  Tobys  were  dated.  The  last  member  of  the 
trio  is  a  caricature  of  Charles  II,  made  in  reference,  no 
doubt,  to  the  time  he  spent  wandering  about  England 
after  the  defeat  at  Worcester,  in  1651,  before  he  was 
able  to  effect  his  escape  to  France. 

The  number  of  jugs  which  one  may  gather  is  only 
to  be  limited  by  one's  patience,  length  of  purse,  and 
placj  to  put  them.  The  chief  objection  to  them  is  the 
space  tAey  occupy,  which  is  equally  to  be  thought  of 
in  regard  to  teapots.  The  earliest  one  recorded  of 
these  latter  articles,  of  European  make  and  hard  por- 
celain, was  that  formed  by  Bottcher  in  Saxony,  some- 
time in  the  year  1708.  He  had  been  experimenting 
for  some  years  to  make  hard  porcelain,  and  succeeded, 
in  1708,  in  drawing  out  of  a  furnace  a  saggar  con- 
taining a  teapot,  which  was  plunged  into  cold  water 
in  the  presence  of  the  King  of  Saxony,  Augustus  II, 
and  sustained  no  injury. 

Between  1690  and  1710  the  Elers  Brothers  made 
teapots  of  red  clay  in  imitation  of  Japanese  wares,  but 
how  much  earlier  they  had  been  made  in  China  or 
Japan  it  is  impossible  to  say.  I  have  seen  some  very 
early  specimens,  Chinese,  with  a  spout  on  each  side, 
and  a  division  through  the  center,  so  that  one  vessel 
could  hold  both  black  and  green  tea.  I  do  not  believe 
these  pots  were  used  by  the  Chinese  in  their  own 
households.  Certainly  not  for  the  "  Cha-no-yu,"  or 
ceremonial  tea-drinking,  which  is  not  to  be  confused 
with  the  ordinary  absorption  of  the  liquid. 


JUGS,  TEAPOTS,  AND  ANIMALS.  243 

The  "  Cha-no-yu  "  is  a  form  of  entertainment  which 
the  uneducated  foreigner  cannot  appreciate.  Every 
movement  is  regulated  by  laws  known  to  the  initiated 
only.  The  subject  of  conversation  does  not  touch  on 
every-day  affairs,  but  the  host  produces  some  work  of 
art,  or  reads  a  poem,  and  that  is  what  must  be  con- 
sidered. The  kettle  containing  the  boiling  water,  the 
bowl  and  other  utensils  must  all  have  some  historic  or 
artistic  interest,  and  the  cup  from  which  the  infusion 
is  drunk  is  the  gem  of  all  the  service,  often  an  example 
of  archaic  pottery. 

How  can  the  Occidental,  a  creature  of  to-day,  regard 
with  sufficient  reverence  a  performance  where  the  rules 
governing  it  have  not  been  changed  for  centuries? 
True  there  are  various  schools  which  differ  as  to  minor 
details, — whether  the  little  straw  broom  with  which 
the  drink  is  stirred  should  be  laid  afterward  on  the 
seventh  or  thirteenth  seam  of  the  matting,  and  things 
of  that  character,  which  seem  of  infinitely  small  im- 
portance to  the  ignorant,  but  make  a  vast  difference  to 
the  connoisseur.  The  spoon  seems  to  us  a  necessary 
factor  to  a  cup  of  tea ;  the  Chinese  would  not  know 
what  to  do  with  such  a  barbaric  tool.  Neither  would 
they  condescend  to  drink  the  boiled  fluid  which  poses 
for  a  large  portion  of  the  Western  World  as  tea. 

In  Stockbridge  among  the  Berkshires,  in  Providence, 
Rhode  Island,  and  in  Utica,  New  York,  are  the  larg- 
est collections  of  these  fascinating  objects  yet  heard 
from.  The  smallest  of  these  gatherings  numbers  over 
five  hundred  and  the  largest  is  creeping  towards  two 
thousand. 

In  Fig.  144  is  shown  a  group  of  teapots,  in  printed 
wares — black,    mulberry,    red     and     green — and    one 


244  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

Castleford.  They  vary  in  size  from  the  one  holding 
scarcely  more  than  one  cup  to  the  family  comforter ; 
— and  each  one  of  them  is  agreeable  in  shape  and  dec- 
oration. The  two  in  the  background  are  similar  in 
shape  and  in  the  pattern  of  the  handle,  the  one  on  the 
left  being  sparingly  decorated  with  lustre.  The  tea- 
pots with  the  cover  setting  down  in  a  box-like  recess 
antedate  those  in  which  the  cover  sets  over  the  top. 
Many  of  the  "Old  Blue"  pots  are  of  this  same  shape, 
with  the  front  of  the  rim  rising  up  sharply.  It  was  in 
teapots  like  these  that  the  infusion  was  served,  at 
those  functions  which  have  since  been  superseded  by 
the  afternoon  tea.  In  Colly  Gibber's  "  Lady's  Last 
Stake  "come  these  lines:  "Tea,  thou  soft,  thou  sober, 
sage  and  venerable  liquid  ;  thou  female-tongue-run- 
ning, smile-smoothing,  heart-opening,  wink-tipping  cor- 
dial, to  whose  glorious  insipidity  I  owe  the  happiest 
moment  of  my  life,  let  me  fall  prostrate." 

From  just  such  vessels  as  these  did  our  patriotic 
grandmothers  drink  those  odious  herb  decoctions 
which  their  fervid  hearts  preferred  to  tea  taxed  by 
England,  even  though  their  palates  rebelled.  It  was 
the  custom  to  have  the  tea  served  on  what  were  called 
tea-poys,  little  stands  of  Chinese  make,  with  mandarins 
or  pagodas  on  them,  and  brilliantly  lacquered.  These 
often  came  in  sets,  "  nesting  "  into  each  other,  so  that 
when  not  in  use  they  would  occupy  small  space  in  the 
best  room. 

From  China,  tea  had  been  introduced  into  Japan  in 
the  beginning  of  the  ninth  century,  and  presumably 
the  same  customs  prevailed  with  regard  to  making  it, 
no  true  Oriental  ever  adding  milk  or  sugar,  or  even 
the  lime  juice  preferred  by  the  Russian. 


JUGS,  TEAPOTS,  AND  ANIMALS.  245 

About  1770  Sir  Charles  Williams  wrote  a  poem 
called  "  Isabella,"  which  is  intended  to  show  the 
morning  occupations  of  Lady  Isabella  Montague. 
One  of  her  admirers  has  the  following  speech  put  into 
his  mouth. 

"  To  please  the  noble  dame  the  courtly  squire 
Produced  a  teapot  made  in  Staffordshire  ! 
So  Venus  looked,  and  with  such  longing  eyes, 
When  Paris  first  produced  the  golden  prize, 
•  Such  work  as  this,'  she  cried  '  can  England  do  ? 
It  equals  Dresden  and  outdoes  St.  Cloud. 
All  modern  china  now  shall  hide  its  head, 
And  e'en  Chantilly  must  give  o'er  the  trade. 
For  lace  let  Flanders  bear  away  the  bell. 
In  finest  linens  let  the  Dutch  excel, 
For  prettiest  stuffs  let  Ireland  be  first  named, 
And  for  best  fancied  silks  let  France  be  famed; 
Do  thou,  thrice  happy  England  still  prepare 
This  clay,  and  build  thy  fame  on  earthenware  !" 

Ten  years  later  this  prophetic  jest  had  been  made 
actual  truth  by  the  notable  productions  of  Wedgwood 
and  others,  who,  even  at  this  date,  1770,  were  on  the 
way  to  perfecting  these  sources  of  comfort. 

In  Fig.  145  is  presented  a  bevy  of  beauties  that, 
may  have  been  in  this  country  at  the  time  of  Boston's 
largest  and  most  notable  tea-party,  or  shortly  after. 
All  china  collectors  know  how  Franklin's  name  and 
face  are  continually  occurring  on  china  and  pottery, 
and  how,  as  well,  it  is  connected  with  this  stirring 
event  in  Boston  Harbour.  The  affronts  to  Franklin 
had  inflamed  the  Colonists,  and  England  was  incensed 
by  the  speech  of  Wedderburn  with  reference  to  the 
letters  of  Hutchinson  and  Oliver,  which  Franklin  had 
brought   to  America.     Both   sides  were    ready  for   a 


246  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

fray,  and  England  determined  to  bring  the  Colonists 
to  a  realizing  sense  of  their  dependence.  The  tax  on 
tea  still  existed,  and  it  was  to  be  enforced.  The  re- 
ception meted  out  to  the  three  ships  which  sailed  into 
Boston  Harbour  that  December  day,  1773,  is  known  to 
every  school  boy  in  America,  and,  no  doubt,  some 
New  England  dames  regretted  the  three  hundred  and 
forty-two  chests  which  were  flung  into  the  briny  waters 
of  the  harbour,  particularly  when  they  were  sipping 
some  of  the  bitter  infusions  made  from  the  leaves  of 
such  shrubs  as  could  be  conveniently  gathered  and 
dried. 

At  many  an  afternoon  gathering  the  comparative 
merits  of  "New  Jersey  tea,"  as  the  drink  made  from 
the  dried  leaves  of  the  red-root  was  called,  was  dis- 
cussed,  and  one  cannot  blame  the  good  women  if  they 
silently  acknowledged  the  superiority  of  the  leaves  of 
the  China  plant. 

The  teapots  shown  in  FiG.  146  are  all  worth  par- 
ticular study.  The  shapes  are  fine,  the  wares  various, 
and  the  decorations,  painted  in  colours,  very  beauti- 
ful. No  wonder  such  teapots  as  these  called  forth 
expressions  of  admiration,  and  were  copied  to  a  great 
extent. 

That  delightful  traveller,  Arthur  Young,  writes  in 
August,  1788,  of  a  fair  held  at  Guilbray,  France,  where 
much  merchandise  was  sold.  He  finds  here  examples 
of  porcelain  and  Queen's  Ware,  English  goods,  and 
French  imitations  of  a  very  poor  quality.  He  asked 
the  Frenchman  who  was  selling  them,  if  the  treaty  of 
commerce  would  not  be  very  injurious,  since  the  French 
goods  were  so  very  manifestly  inferior  to  the  English. 
"  Precisely   the    contrary,"    answered    the    merchant, 


Fig.  146.    GROUP  OF  TEAPOTS.  PAINTED  WARES. 


PHI'l'Kl'l  POT. 


Fig.  149.     NOTTINGHAM  BEAR. 


Fig.  ISO.    COW  AND  CALF. 


JUGS,  TEAPOTS,  AND  ANIMALS.  247 

"  these  goods  are  the  best  yet  made  in  France. 
Next  year  you  will  see  still  further  improvement,  and 
ten  years  from  now,  we  will  excel  you  at  every  point." 

The  round  teapot  at  the  left  is  a  favourite  shape 
with  early  makers.  I  have  seen  its  counterpart,  dec- 
orated with  printed  designs  and  marked  "  Sadler  & 
Green,  1756."  The  one  next  to  it  is  a  familiar  Bristol 
pattern  and  has  beautiful  decoration  in  flowers,  similar 
to  the  pot  at  the  extreme  left,  which  is  ribbed  all  the 
way  down,  while  the  right  hand  one  is  ribbed  only 
half  way  down. 

Even  the  person  who  is  not  a  china  lover,  pure  and 
simple,  must  admire  each  of  these  specimens.  The 
quaint  shapes,  the  creamy  ware,  the  gay  posies  shown 
thereon  make  each  one  an  ornament  for  a  dining-room 
not  to  be  despised,  and  very  different  from  those  speci- 
mens made  by  the  Elers  Brothers,  even  though  they 
cast  the  very  first  refining  influence  upon  the  trade  of 
potting.  Their  work  seems  crude  enough  in  compari- 
son with  what  was  produced  one  hundred  years  later. 

In  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Fine  Arts  is  a 
most  interesting  collection  of  tea-bowls,  some  of  them 
dating  back  as  far  as  1500.  They  are  all  rather  small, 
made  of  a  rough,  brownish,  mottled  ware,  and  each 
one  is  accompanied  by  a  little  tea-jar,  with  a  cover  of 
pottery,  or  an  ivory  button.  They  are  small  and 
dainty  in  shape  and  can  hold  but  a  spoonful  or  two  of 
the  dried  leaves. 

There  are  also,  among  the  many  specimens  shown, 
examples  of  kettles  for  water  or  wine  which  are  ex- 
actly in  shape  and  size  what  we  call  teapots.  Several 
of  them  are  centuries  old,  but  the  first  one  which  is 
called  a  teapot  is  from  Japan  and  dated   1720.     One 


248  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

remarkable  quality  of  the  Oriental  was  the  way  he 
adapted  himself  to  the  wants  of  the  Occidental 
market,  and  strove  in  every  way  to  meet  its  demands. 
Gombron,  opposite  to  Ormus  in  the  Persian  Gulf, 
was  the  first  port  opened  to  the  English  East  India 
Company,  and  from  this  place  the  commodities  of  India 
and  China  were  exchanged  for  those  of  Europe,  and 
China  was  called  "  Gombron  Ware,"  before  it  became 
known  by  the  general  name  of  china.  The  Dutch  and 
the  Portuguese  had  been  importing  before  England  was 
able  to  secure  a  footing,  and  in  1690  the  Dutch  were 
allowed  to  export  annually  one  hundred  bales  of  china 
from  Japan.  We  are  wont  to  regard  the  Chinese  as 
barbarians,  yet  can  trace  back  many  of  our  comforts 
and  elegancies  to  their  shores,  from  which  source  they 
filtered  to  us,  often  by  way  of  Japan. 

When  the  "  China  drink"  became  fashionable  in  the 
last  quarter  of  the  seventeenth  century,  even  though 
the  tax  upon  it  was  five  shillings  a  pound,  the  modish 
people  would  have  it.  With  it  came  fine  porcelain, 
dainty  cups  without  saucers, — the  Oriental  himself  did 
not  use  them,— and  the  pretty  kettles  for  hot  water, 
small  enough  to  be  heated  upon  the  little  brasier 
which  is,  even  to  this  day,  the  Chinese  apology  for  a 
cooking  arrangement.  Our  English  cousins  wanted 
the  drink;  they  did  not  care  a  fig  for  the  ceremonies 
which  surrounded  the  brewing  of  it  ;  and  the  hot  water 
kettle  seemed  a  good  thing  to  prepare  it  in.  So  they 
popped  the  leaves  into  the  kettle  and,  no  doubt, 
boiled  them,  a  much  quicker  process  than  boiling 
water,  pouring  it  into  a  cup,  then  dropping  in  a  few 
leaves,  allowing  them  to  uncurl  and  fall  to  the  bottom 
before  stirring  with  a  few  straws. 


JUGS,    TEAPOTS,    AND    ANIMALS.    349 

Saucers  were  made  to  gratify  the  Western  market, 
so  were  the  handles  on  cups.  Be  sure  no  tea-cup  with 
a  handle  is  much  more  than  one  hundred  years  old, 
for  such  an  addition  was  not  thought  of  till  the  end  of 
the  eighteenth  century.  Coffee  cups  had  handles 
earlier  than  this.  The  oldest  piece  of  porcelain  known 
in  England  is  a  celadon  cup  brought  from  China  be- 
tween the  years  1 504-1 532,  and  given  to  New  College, 
Oxford. 

On  every  style  of  ware  the  world  over,  flowers,  birds 
and  butterflies  are  used  as  decoration.  We  use  these 
things  because  the  colour  is  pretty  and  the  shape 
pleasing,  but  that  ancient  people  from  whom  we  copied 
never  made  a  stroke  which  did  not  have  sentiment  or 
meaning.  When  Darby  went  forth  to  purchase  a  tea- 
pot for  his  Joan,  why  did  he  select  one  with  butterflies 
and  bees?  Just  because  it  was  gay.  Yet  the  work- 
man sitting  cross-legged  in  his  bamboo  studio  put  but- 
terflies on  a  tea-pot,  which  was  copied  in  England,  be- 
cause they  were  to  him  a  sign  of  conjugal  felicity. 
They  may  almost  be  called  the  Chinese  cupid ;  and 
what  the  bee  signifies  even  our  less  symbolic  ideas 
appreciate.  What  prettier  combination  could  be 
brought  together  for  a  marriage  gift  than  the  emblems 
of  conjugal  happiness  and  industry? 

There  is  very  little  that  is  poetical  in  the  Stafford- 
shire figures  which  are  by  no  means  diflficult  to  find 
scattered  in  many  humble  homes,  chimney-piece  orna- 
ments even  yet.  Some  of  them  are  small,  four  or  five 
inches  high,  in  single  figures,  groups  or  pairs.  One 
quite  out  of  the  common  run  is  given  in  FiG.  147.  It 
is  one  of  a  pair,  twelve  inches  high,  and  they  are 
tnarked  on  the  base  "  The  Lion  Slayers."     It  is  hard 


2SO  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

to  say  just  why  the  costume  of  a  Highland  laddie 
should  be  chosen  in  which  to  hunt  the  "  King  of 
Beasts,"  combined  moreover  with  such  an  Oriental 
looking  headdress.  These  figures  are  creamy  white, 
sparingly  touched  with  colour,  the  stockings,  sword 
and  lion's  mane  being  the  most  brilliant.  The  smaller 
groups  are  often  every  highly  coloured,  but  the  use  of 
gold  is  apt  to  be  meagre. 

The  little  country  lad  shown  in  FiG.  148  is  for  use. 
He  is  four  inches  high  and  a  pepper-box.  There  is  a 
hole  in  the  base  into  which  the  pepper  is  poured,  and 
closed  with  a  cork.  It  shakes  out  through  the  little 
openings  in  his  cap.  He  is  a  very  lively  little  person — 
red  trousers,  blue  coat,  and  yellow  vest  and  hat.  It  is 
quite  impossible  to  give  any  idea  of  the  hundreds  of 
patterns  made  for  this  use.  The  largest  collection 
known  contains  between  three  and  four  thousand,  and 
of  every  variety  of  ware.  Napoleon  in  a  cocked  hat 
is  a  not  uncommon  device;  so  is  John  Bull,  and  even 
Franklin's  stocky  figure  has  been  pressed  into  service. 
A  shelf  of  such  figures,  intermingled  with  the  plain 
banded  pots  of  Bristol  and  Leeds  and  some  of  the 
rich  copper  lustre,  makes  a  very  ornamental  showing 
in  a  corner  cupboard,  or  they  mix  in  well  in  a  collec- 
tion of  larger  and  more  gravely  coloured  pieces.  An- 
other merit  of  these  smaller  pieces  is  their  compara- 
tively small  price.  I  saw  two  or  three  very  good  ones 
this  past  summer  in  a  little  shop  at  the  top  of  a  long 
flight  of  stairs  in  one  of  the  interior  towns  of  New 
York  State,  at  one  dollar,  and  one  dollar  and  a  half 
each.  Very  pretty  little  figures  in  groups  were  to 
be  found  here  also,  at  two  dollars  each,  also  a  large 
white  dog,  with  the  rough  mane  made  by  dropping 


JUGS,  TEAPOTS,  AND  ANIMALS.  251 

shavings  of  paste  on  the  glaze  before  firing.  Some 
dogs  and  other  animals  were  made  in  the  United 
States  at  Bennington,  Vermont ;  but  they  are  lighter 
in  colour  than  to  the  English  ones,  and  inferior  to 
them  in  make. 

All  this  ware,  which  is  seldom  marked,  is  ascribed  to 
Nottingham,  but  it  was  also  made  at  Chesterfield  and 
at  Brampton.  One  of  the  famous  patterns  made  in  this 
brown  Nottingham  ware  is  a  bear,  rampant  (FiG.  149). 
His  head  is  separate  from  the  body  and  forms  a  drink- 
ing cup,  the  body  answering  for  a  jug.  This  bear  is 
supposed  to  be  copied  from  the  celebrated  "  Bear  of 
Bradwardine,"  mentioned  by  Sir  Walter  Scott  in  his 
novel  of  "  Waverley."  The  House  of  Bradwardine  is 
described  as  having  bears  of  all  sizes  and  descriptions 
carved  over  the  windows  and  doors,  terminating  the 
gables,  answering  for  water  spouts,  and  supporting 
the  turrets.  Under  every  one  of  these  creatures  was 
cut  the  family  motto,  "  Bewar  the  Bar."  The  last  and 
choicest  bear  was  a  drinking  cup,  kept  in  an  oaken 
casket  mounted  in  brass,  and  carefully  locked.  It 
was  only  used  on  special  occasions,  and  when  at  the 
banquet  to  Waverley  the  Baron  of  Bradwardine  un- 
locked the  casket  and  drew  forth  the  cup,  which  was 
of  pure  gold,  he  said,  "  It  represents  the  chosen  crest 
of  our  family,  a  bear,  as  ye  observe,  and  rampant." 
The  cup  was  wrought  to  commemorate  the  doughty 
deeds  of  one  of  the  Baron's  ancestors,  and  was  called 
the  "Blessed  Bear  of  Bradwardine."  The  story  goes 
on  to  say  that  the  bear  held  nearly  a  pint,  and  each 
guest  was  expected  to  drain  it  at  a  draught.  Whether 
or  not  the  Nottingham  bear  was  fashioned  from  the 
Bradwardine  cup  one  cannot  say,  yet,  no  doubt,  it  was 


252  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

copied  from  some  famous  jug  which  was  known  to 
that  mine  of  information,  Sir  Walter  Scott.  The  pot- 
tery bear  is  rough  all  over,  forming  a  good  surface  to 
grasp  by  hands  whose  steadiness  was  somewhat  lost  by 
frequent  potations. 

Our  last  illustration  (FiG.  150)  shows  an  animal 
more  useful,  and,  perhaps,  more  honoured,  yet  which 
would  never  be  dignified  by  being  used  for  a  family 
crest !  She  performs  the  simple  office  of  a  candle- 
stick, or,  as  the  opening  in  the  tree-trunk  behind  her 
is  not  quite  round,  a  flower-holder,  and  looks  mildly 
out  at  you,  this  humble  friend,  the  old  red  cow.  She 
is  in  Staffordshire,  is  red  and  white,  stands  on  a  plot 
of  green  grass,  with  a  blue  brook  running  beneath 
her  feet,  and  around  the  base  runs  the  single  touch  of 
elegance,  a  line  of  gold. 

She  stands  as  an  emblem  of  sorrow,  and  there  is 
such  in  every  collection,  for  mingled  with  the  satis- 
faction of  owning  her  comes  the  mental  picture 
of  her  owner's  griefo  This  is  the  story  of  her  pur- 
chase. A  china  hunter,  who  scented  a  "  find "  in 
every  breeze  that  blew,  got  the  knowledge  that  this 
cow  was  a  treasured  possession  in  a  humble  little 
home.  He  went  and  made  an  offer  for  it,  handled  it, 
noted  that  it  was  perfect,  Staffordshire,  and  unusual 
in  pattern.  His  offer  was  almost  laughed  at.  The 
middle-aged  woman  whose  property  it  was  said,  "  Why, 
that  cow  was  mother's.  I  never  remember  when  she 
did  not  have  it.     I  would  not  think  of  selling  it." 

To  any  one  but  a  china  collector  this  would  have 
proved  sufficient,  but  our  collector  could  not  give  up 
the  chase.  His  daily  walks  led  him,  against  his  will, 
past  that  small  house,  and  as  often  as  he  could  muster 


JUGS,  TEAPOTS,  AND  ANIMALS.  253 

courage  he  stopped  and  increased  his  bid.  At  last  he 
had  reached  the  limit  of  his  patience  and  his  purse, 
and  saying  to  himself,  "  This  is  the  last  time,"  he 
betook  himself  to  the  home  of  his  ambition.  He  held 
his  breath  and  made  his  offer.  It  is  proverbial  that 
she  who  hesitates  is  lost,  and  so  it  was  in  this  case. 
Who  can  tell  if  visions  of  what  could  be  got  for  the 
round  sum  offered  flashed  through  the  owner's  mind? 
The  collector  saw  his  advantage,  the  money  was  in 
her  hand,  the  cow  in  his,  and  he  fled  through  the 
open  door  lest  she  should  change  her  mind.  When 
he  got  to  the  gate,  like  Lot's  wife,  he  looked  back, 
and  it  nearly  proved  his  undoing,  for  the  former 
owner  stood  in  the  doorway  wiping  away  with  the 
corner  of  her  apron  the  fast  dropping  tears. 


LIST  OF  VIEWS, 
AMERICAN,  ENGLISH  &  MISCELLANEOUS. 

BY 

ENGLISH  POTTERS. 

Enoch  Wood  &  Co.  Enoch  Wood  &  Sons. 

Colour,  dark  blue. 

Border.    Opening  in  centre  round,  with  border  of  shells, 
cockle  shell  being  conspicuous. 

1.  Albany,  New  York  State. 

2.  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad. 

3.  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad,  uphill. 

4.  Belleville,  New  Jersey. 

5.  Capitol  at  Washington. 

6.  Castle  Garden  and  Battery,  New  York, 

7.  Catskills. 

8.  Catskills,  Hope  Mill. 

9.  Catskill  Mountain  House, 

10.  Catskill  Mountains.     View  of  Hudson  River, 

11.  Catskills,  Pine  Orchard  House. 

12.  Franklin's  Tomb. 

13.  Gilpin's  Mills. 

14.  Greensburg. 

15.  Highlands,  Hudson  River. 

16.  Highlands  at  West  Point, 

17.  Highlands  near  Newburg. 

18.  Lake  George,  New  York. 

19.  Mount  Vernon,  seat  of  late  Geni  George  Washington. 
30.  New  York  Bay. 

21.  Niagara  Falls. 

22.  Niagara  Falls,  Tabic  Rock. 

23.  Passaic  Falls. 


LISTOFVIEWS.  9SS 

24.  Transylvania  University,  Lexington,  Ky. 

25.  Trenton  Falls. 

26.  Trenton  Falls,  vi^ith  solitary  figure. 

27.  West  Point  Military  Academy. 

28.  White  House,  Washington. 

Border.  Irregular  opening  for  central  view,  border  of  vari- 
ous shells,  without  cockle  shell.  Name  of  view  on 
front. 

29.  Cadmus. 

30.  Cadmus  at  anchor. 

31.  Cadmus  under  sail. 

32.  "  Chief  Justice  Marshall,"  steamboat. 

33.  "  Constitution  "  and  "  Guerriere." 

34.  MacDonough's  victory. 

35.  Marine  Hospital,  Louisville,  Ky. 

36.  Union  Line  steamboat. 

37.  Wadsworth  Tower,  Conn. 

Border.     Flowers  and  scrolls. 

38.  "  Chancellor  Livingston,"  steamboat. 

Border.     Medallions  and  scrolls. 

39.  Landing  of  Pilgrims. 

Border.     Flowers,  poppies,  etc. 

40.  Entrance  of  canal  into  Hudson  River  at  Albany. 

41.  Little  Falls,  New  York,  Aqueduct  Bridge. 

42.  Rochester,  New  York,  Aqueduct  Bridge. 

Celtic  china*     Other  colours  than  dark  blue. 

Borders.     Various. 

43.  Buffalo. 

44.  Fairmount  Waterworks,  Pennsylvania, 

45.  Harvard  College. 

46.  Hudson  River,  near  FishkilL 

47.  Natural  Bridge,  Virginia. 

48.  New  York  from  Staten  Island. 

49.  Niagara  Falls. 

50.  Pass  in  Catskill  Mountains. 

51.  Port  on  the  Ohio,  Kentucky. 

52.  Transylvania  University,  Lexington,  Ky. 

53.  Trenton  Falls. 


2s6  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

54.  Washington,  Capitol. 

55.  Washington  Vase. 

56.  Washington  Memorial. 

VIEWS  IN  CANADA. 
Border.     Opening  for  central  view  circular,  shell  border. 

57.  Falls  of  Montmorency,  near  Quebec. 

58.  Quebec. 

ENGLISH  VIEWS. 

Enoch  Wood  &  Sons. 
Colour,  darU  blue. 

Border.     Shells  and  flowers,  irregular  opening  for  central 
view.     Name  of  scene  on  front. 

59.  Beach  at  Brighton. 

60.  Cowes  Harbour. 

61.  Dartmouth. 

62.  Dublin,  View  of. 

63.  East  Cowes,  Isle  of  Wight. 

64.  Eddystone  lighthouse. 

65.  Firth  on  the  Thames. 

66.  Liverpool,  View  of. 

67.  Ship  of  the  Line  in  the  Downs. 

68.  Southhampton,  Hampshire. 

69.  Whitby. 

70.  Yarmouth,  Isle  of  Wight. 

Border.     Grapevines  with  fruit,  central  view  in  medallion. 
Marked,  "  London  Views." 

71.  Bank  of  England. 

72.  Coliseum,  Regent's  Park. 

73.  Cumberland  Terrace,  Regent's  Park. 

74.  Dover,  Cliffs  of. 

75.  Doric  Villa  in  the  Regent's  Park. 

76.  East  Gate,  Regent's  Park. 

77.  Hanover  Lodge,  Regent's  Park. 

78.  Macclesfield  Bridge,  Regent's  Park. 

79.  St.  Phillip's  Chapel.  Regent's  Park. 

80.  The  Holme,  Regent's  Park. 

81.  The  Lake,  Regent's  Park. 


LISTOFVIEWS.  257 

82.  The  Limestone  Dock,  Regent's  Park. 

Border.    Grapevines   with   fruit   and   flowers.     View  filling 
entire  centre.     Name  on  back. 

83.  Armitage  Park,  Staffordshire. 

84.  Barlborough  Hall,  Derbyshire. 

85.  Bedfords,  Essex. 

86.  Belvoir  Castle. 

87.  Bickley,  Kent. 

88.  Brancepeth  Castle,  Durham, 

89.  Cashiobury,  Hertfordshire. 

90.  Cave  Castle,  York. 

91.  City  of  Canterbury. 

92.  Cokethorpe  Park,  Oxfordshire. 

93.  Compton  Verney,  Warwickshire. 

94.  Dalguise,  Perthshire. 

95.  Dorney  Court,  Buckinghamshire. 

96.  Dunraven,  Glamorgan. 

97.  Durham  Cathedral. 

98.  Esholt  House,  Yorkshire. 

99.  Fonthill  Abbey,  Wiltshire.  Large  view. 
100.  Fonthill  Abbey,  Wiltshire.  Small  view. 
loi.  Goodridge  Castle,  Kent. 

102.  Gunton  Hall,  Norfolk. 

103.  Guy's  Cliff,  Warwickshire. 

104.  Harewood  House,  Yorkshire. 

105.  Hollywell  Cottage,  Cavan. 

106.  Huntley  Castle,  Perthshire. 

107.  Kenilworth  Castle,  Warwickshire. 

108.  Kenmount,  Dumfrieshire. 

109.  Lambton  Hall,  Durham. 

110.  Maxstoke  Castle,  Warwickshire. 

111.  Orielton,  Pembrokeshire. 

112.  Richmond,  View  of. 

113.  Rochester  Castle. 

114.  Ross  Castle. 

115.  Shirley  House,  Surrey. 

116.  Taymouth  Castle,  Perthshire. 

117.  The  Rookery,  Surrey. 


2S8  THEOLDCHINABOOK 


ii8. 

Thryberg,  Yorkshire. 

119. 

Wardour  Castle,  Wiltshire,  with  tree. 

120. 

Wardour  Castle,  Wiltshire,  without  tree. 

121. 

Warwick  Castle. 

122. 

Wellcombe,  Warwickshire. 

123. 

Windsor  Castle. 

124. 

York  Cathedral. 

Border.    Scrolls  and  medallions.    "  English  Cities 

on  back. 

125. 

Chichester. 

126. 

Coventry. 

127. 

Coke  Denton. 

128. 

Ely. 

129. 

Leeds. 

130. 

Lincoln. 

131. 

Litchfield. 

132. 

Liverpool.    View  of  city  from  river. 

133- 

Liverpool.     View  of  buildings. 

134. 

London. 

135. 

Norwich. 

136. 

Peterborough. 

137. 

Rochester. 

138. 

Wells. 

139. 

Worcester. 

marked 


VIEWS  IN  FRANCE. 

Wood. 

Border.    Hollyhocks,  grapes,  etc.    Name  of  scene  on  back. 

140.  La  Grange,  chiteau  of  Lafayette. 

141.  La  Grange,  east  view. 

142.  La  Grange,  northwest  view. 

143.  La  Grange,  southwest  view. 

144.  Cascade  de  Gresy  Pres  Chamber/. 

145.  Chateau  Coucy. 

146.  Chateau  Ermenonville. 

147.  Hermitage  en  Dauphine. 

148.  Moulin  sur  la  Marne. 

149.  Moulin  sur  la  Marne  with  figures. 

1 50.  Vue  Peise  en  Savoie. 


LISTOFVIEWS.  JS9 

AMERICAN  VIEWS. 
Andrew  Stevenson. 
Colour,  darh  blue. 

Borders.     Different  floral  arrangements,  scrolls,  large 
flowers  and  small  wreaths. 

151.  Columbia  College.     W.  G.  Wall. 

152.  Dutch  Church  at  Albany. 

153.  Fort  Gansevoort,  New  York. 

154.  Junction  of  Hudson  and  Sacadaga. 

155.  Lafayette  portrait. 

156.  New  York  City  Almshouse.  W.  G.  Wall.  (Two 
views,  one  is  marked  on  back  with  eagle  perched,  and 
the  other  with  eagle  flying.) 

157.  New  York  City  Hall.     W.  G.  Wall. 

158.  New  York  Catholic  Cathedral.     W.  G.  Wall. 

159.  New  York  from  Brooklyn  Heights.  W.  G.  Wall.  (Two 
views,  one  on  platters,  one  on  plates.) 

160.  New  York  from  Weehawken.     W.  G.  Wall. 

161.  New  York,  Murray  St.     W.  G.  Wall. 

162.  On  road  to  Lake  George.     W.  G.  Wall. 

163.  The  Temple  of  Fame,  Perry.     W.  G.  Wall. 

164.  Troy  from  Mt.  Ida.     W.  G.  Wall. 

165.  View  of  Governor's  Island.    W.  G.  WalL 

166.  Niagara  with  portraits. 

ENGLISH  VIEWS. 
Andrew  Stevenson. 
Colour,  da/rk  blue* 

Border.    Roses  and  other  flowcn. 

167.  Barrington  Hall. 

168.  Boreham  House,  Essex. 

169.  The  Chantry,  Suffolk. 

170.  Culford  Hall,  Suffolk. 

171.  Enville  Hall,  Staffordshire. 

172.  Foulkbourn  Hall,  also  with  four  medallion  portraits, 
and  view  of  Rochester  Aqueduct  Bridge  at  bottom. 

173.  Foulkbourn  Hall.    Four  medallion  portraits,  and  view 


26o  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

of  "  Entrance  of  Erie  Canal  into  the  Hudson  River  at 
Albany,"  at  bottom. 

174.  Foulkbourn  Hall.  Two  medallion  portraits,  Washing- 
ton and  Clinton.  Aqueduct  Bridge  at  Little  Falls,  at 
bottom. 

175.  Foulkbourn  Hall.  Two  medallion  portraits,  Washing- 
ton and  Clinton.  Aqueduct  Bridge  at  Rochester,  at 
bottom. 

176.  Haughton  Hall,  NorfolL 

177.  Mereworth  House. 

178.  Oatlands,  Surrey. 

179.  Summer  Hall,  Kent. 

180.  Tunbridge  Castle,  Surrey. 

181.  Walsingham  Priory.     Norfolk. 

182.  Wansted  House,  Essex. 

183.  Writtle  Lodge.     With  four  medallion  portraits. 

184.  Writtle  Lodge.     Without  portraits. 


AMERICAN  VIEWS. 

J.  AND  R.  Clews. 

Colour,  dark  hltie, 

Jorder.    Scallops    bearing  names  of    fifteen  States  with  stars 
between.     Central  views  various. 

185.  White  House.     View  with  sheep  on  lawn. 

186.  White  House.    View  with  figures  in  row  boat. 

187.  White  House.    View    with    curved  drive  leading  to 

house. 

188.  Unknown  buildings  with  women  on  lawn. 

189.  Unknown  buildings  with  fisherman. 

190.  Unknown  buildings  with  deer. 

191.  Unknown  buildings  with  six  wings.     Sheep  on  lawn. 

192.  Unknown  buildings  three  stories  high. 

193.  Mt.  Vernon. 

194.  Custom  House. 

195.  Castle,  with  sail  boat  in  foreground. 

Border.    Scrolls  and  flowers. 

196.  Almshouse,  New  York. 


LISTOFVIEWS.  261 

197.  Brooklyn    Heights,   New   York   from,  (same  view    as 

Stevenson's.) 

198.  Columbia  College,  New  York. 

199.  Erie  Canal  at  Albany. 

200.  Lafayette,  portrait.    Made    for  J.    Greenfield's   china 
store,  No.  ']^  Pearl  St.,  New  York. 

201.  New  York  Bay. 

202.  New  York  City  Hall. 

203.  New  York  Insane  Asylum. 

204.  Peace  and  Plenty. 

205.  Pittsfield  elm.  Winter  view, 

206.  The  Temple  of  Fame.     In  memory  of  Commodore 

Perry.    By  W.  G.  Wall. 


PICTURESQUE  VIEWS. 

J.  AND  R,  Clews. 

In  different  colours. 

Border.     Birds,  flowers  and  scrolls. 

207.  Baker's  Falls. 

208.  Fairmount  Waterworks. 

209.  From  FishkiU.     On  the  Hudson  River. 

210.  Fishkill.  Near.     On  the  Hudson  River. 

211.  Fort  Edward.     On  the  Hudson  River. 

212.  Fort  Miller.     On  the  Hudson  River. 

213.  Fort  Montgomery.     On  the  Hudson  River. 

214.  Hadley's  Falls.     On  the  Hudson  River. 

215.  Hudson  City.     On  the  Hudson  River. 

216.  Hudson  City,  Near.     On  the  Hudson  River. 

217.  Hudson  River  View. 

218.  Hudson  River  near  Sandy  Hill. 

219.  Jessup's  Landing. 

220.  Junction  of  Hudson  and  Sacandaga. 

221.  Little  Falls  at  Luzerne. 

222.  Newburg.     On  the  Hudson  River. 

223.  New  York.     View  of  Governor's  Island. 

224.  New  York.     View  from  the  bay. 

225.  Penitentiary  at  Allegheny,  Pa. 


362  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

226.  Pittsburgh.     Pennsylvania  steamboat. 

227.  Pittsburgii.    View  with  three  steamboats. 

228.  Troy  from  Mount  Ida. 

229.  West  Point.    On  the  Hudson  River. 


SYNTAX  DESIGNS. 

J.  AND  R.  Clews. 

Colour,  dark  blue* 

Border.     Large  flowers  with  small  scrolls. 

230.  Doctor  Syntax  disputing  his  Bill  with  the  Landlady. 

231.  Doctor  Syntax  copying  the  Wit  of  the  Window. 

232.  Doctor  Syntax  bound  to  a  Tree  by  Highwaymen. 

233.  Doctor  Syntax  Sketching  from  Nature. 

234.  Doctor  Syntax  Entertained  at  College. 

235.  Doctor  Syntax  Sketching  the  Lake. 

236.  Doctor  Syntax  sells  Grizzle, 

237.  Doctor  Syntax  Reading  his  Tour. 

238.  Doctor  Syntax  Returned  from  his  Tour. 

239.  Doctor  Syntax  Taking  possession  of  his  Living. 

240.  Doctor  Syntax  Mistakes  a  Gentleman's  House  for  an 
Inn. 

241.  Doctor  Syntax  and  the  Dairymaid. 

242.  Doctor  Syntax  Setting  out  on  his  Second  Tour. 

243.  Doctor  Syntax  and  the  Gypsies. 

244.  Doctor  Syntax  and  the  Bees. 

245.  Doctor  Syntax  Painting  a  Portrait  of  hJs  Landlady. 

246.  Doctor  Syntax  Setting  out  in  Search  of  a  Wife. 

247.  Doctor  Syntax  and  the  Blue-Stocking  Beauty. 

248.  Doctor  Syntax  turned  Nurse. 

249.  Doctor  Syntax  Presenting  a  Floral  Offering, 

250.  Doctor  Syntax  Star- Gazing. 

251.  The  Harvest  Home. 

252.  The  Garden  Trio. 

253.  The  Advertisement  for  a  Wife. 

254.  Pat  in  the  Pond. 

255.  Death  of  Punch. 

256.  A  Noble  Hunting  Party. 


LISTOFVIEWS.  263 

THE  WILKIE  DESIGNS. 

J.  AND  R,  Clews. 

Colour,  dark  blue. 

Borders.    Flowers  and  small  scrolls. 

257.  The  Valentine. 

258.  The  Escape  of  the  Mouse. 

259.  Christmas  Eve. 

260.  Playing  at  Draughts. 

261.  Letter  of  Introduction. 

262.  Rabbit  on  the  Wall. 

263.  The  Errand  Boy. 

DON  QUIXOTE  DESIGNS. 
J.  AND  R.  Clews. 
Colour,  dark  blue. 

Borders.     Flowers  and  scrolls,  with  a  scallop  of  beading. 

264.  Don  Quixote. 

265.  Don  Quixote  and  Princess. 

266.  Don  Quixote  and  Shepherdess. 

267.  Don  Quixote  and  Sancho  Panza. 

268.  Knighthood  conferred  on  Don  Quixote. 

269.  Library  of  Don  Quixote. 

270.  Mambrino's  Helmet. 

271.  Knight  of  the  Wood. 

272.  Sancho  and  Dapple. 

273.  Sancho  Panza  and  the  Messenger. 

274.  Sancho  Panza  at  Boar  hunt. 

375.  Sancho  Panza's  debate  with  Teresa. 

276.  Sancho  Panza  and  the  Duchess. 

277.  Sancho  Panza  hoisted  in  a  blanket. 

278.  Sancho  Panza,  the  Priest  and  the  Barber. 

279.  Peasant  Girl  mistaken  for  Lady  Dulcinea. 

280.  The  Shepherd  Boy. 

281.  The  Repose  in  the  Wood. 

282.  The  Enchanted  Barque. 

283.  Attack  upon  the  Mills. 

284.  Zanguesian  Conflict. 


aSi  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

ENGLISH  VIEWS. 
J.  AND  R.  Clews. 

Colour,  dark  blue. 
Border.     Blue-bells  and  other  flowers. 

285.  Dulwich  Castle. 

286.  Fonthill  Abbey,  Wiltshire. 

287.  Lumley  Castle,  Durham. 

288.  Rothesay  Castle,  Buteshire. 

289.  St.  Mary's  Abbey,  York. 

290.  Stratford-on-Avon,  Warwickshire. 

291.  Warkworth  Castle,  Northumberland. 

292.  Wells  Cathedral. 

Border.     Scrolls  and  foliage. 

293.  Canterbury  Cathedral. 

294.  Greenwich. 

295.  Rochester  Castle. 

296.  St.  Catherine  Hill  near  Guilford. 

297.  Windsor  Castle. 

-  SELECT  VIEWS.** 
J.  AND  R.  Clews. 
Colour,  dark  hlue» 

Border.     Large  flowers. 

298.  Cheddar,  Somersetshire. 

299.  Fountain's  Abbey. 

300.  Kilcoman  Castle. 

301.  Repon. 

302.  St.  Catherine's  Hill  near  Guilford. 

ZOOLOGICAL  GARDEN  VIEWS. 

J.  AND  R.  Clews. 

In  various  colours. 

Border.     Twisted  scrolls. 

303.  Bear  Cages. 

304.  Bird  Cages. 


LIST    OF    VIEWS.  265 

AMERICAN  VIEWS. 

Joseph  Stubbs. 
Colour,  dark  blue. 

Border.     Scrolls,  eagles  and  flowers. 

305.  Boston  State  House. 

306.  Church  in  New  York,     Doctor  Mason's, 

307.  Highlands,  North  River. 

308.  Hoboken,  New  Jersey. 

309.  Mendenhall  Ferry,  above  Philadelphia. 

310.  Nahant  Hotel,  near  Boston. 

311.  New  York  Bay. 

312.  New  York  City  Hall. 

313.  Philadelphia,  Bank  of  U.  S. 

314.  Philadelphia,  near  Fairmount. 

315.  Philadelphia  near  Fairmount,  large  view  on  platters. 

316.  Philadelphia,  Woodlands  near. 

317.  Steven's  House,  Hoboken,  N.  J. 

318.  Upper  Ferry  Bridge,  Philadelphia, 
319^     View  at  Hurlgate,  East  River. 

ENGLISH  VIEWS. 

Joseph  Stubbs. 

Colour,  dark  blue. 

Border,    Foliage  and  pointed  scrolls. 

320.  Jedburg  Abbey. 

AMERICAN   VIEWS. 

J.  &  W.  RiDGWAY. 

Colour,  dark  blue, 

**  Beauties  0/  America,"  Series,  name  of  view  on  back. 
Border.     Conventional  medallions  of  roses. 

321.  Almshouse,  Boston. 

322.  Almshouse,  New  York. 

323.  Athenaeum,  Boston. 

324.  Bank,  Savannah. 

325.  Capitol,  Washington. 


266  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

326.  Charleston  Exchange. 

327.  City  Hall.  New  York. 

328.  Court  House,  Boston. 

329.  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum,  Hartford,  Conn. 

330.  Harvard  College. 

331.  Hospital,  Boston. 

332.  Insane  Hospital,  Boston. 

333.  Library,  Philadelphia. 

334.  Mount  Vernon,  near  Washington. 

335.  Octagon  Church,  Boston. 

336.  Pennsylvania  Hospital,  Philadelphia. 

337.  State  House,  Boston. 

338.  Staughton's  Church,  Philadelphia. 

339.  St.  Paul's  Church,  Boston. 

AMERICAN  VIEWS. 

William  Ridgway. 

Colour f  light  blue  or  Mack, 

Border.     Small  sprays  of  moss. 

340.  Caldwrell,  Lake  George. 

341.  Columbia  Bridge,  on  Susquehanna. 

342.  Delaware  Water  Gap. 

343.  Harper's  Ferry,  Potomac  side. 

344.  Peekskill  Landing,  Hudson  River. 

345.  Pennsylvania  Hospital,  Pennsylvania. 

346.  Port  Putnam,  Hudson  River.     View  from. 

347.  Newburg.     View  from  Ruggle's  House. 

348.  The  Narrows  from  Fort  Hamilton. 

349.  Undercliff,  near  Cold  Spring,  N.  Y. 

350.  Valley  of  the  Shenandoah,  from  Jefferson  Rock. 

351.  Vale  of  Wyoming,  Wilkesbarre. 

352.  View  of  Capitol,  Washington. 

"C.  C."    CHINA. 
William  Ridgway. 
Colour,  light  blue* 

Border.     Catskill  moss,  bits  of  moss  over  small  scale  pattern. 


LISTOFVIEWS.  267 

353.  Albany  and  Schenectady  Railroad. 

354.  Boston  from  Chelsea  Heights. 

355.  Capitol,  Washington. 

356.  Kosciusko's  Tomb. 

357.  Washington's  Tomb,  Mount  Vernon. 

AMERICAN  VIEWS. 

John  Ridgway. 

Colours,  light  blue,  black,  brown,  etc. 

Border.     Large  and  small  five  pointed  stars. 

358.  Log  Cabin,  side  view  with  plow. 

359.  Log  Cabin,  side  view  without  plow. 

360.  Log  Cabin,  end  view. 

361.  "  Delaware." 

ENGLISH  VIEWS. 
J.  AND  W.  Ridgway. 
Colour,  dark  blue. 

Border.     Flowers,  with  medallions  of  children,  etc. 

362.  All  Soul's  College  and  St.  Mary's  Church,  Oxford. 

363.  Cambridge,  Cams  College. 

364.  Cambridge,  Downing  College. 

365.  Cambridge,  King's  College. 

366.  Cambridge,  Library  of  Trinity  College. 

367.  Cambridge,  Pembroke  Hall. 

368.  Cambridge,  Senate  House. 

369.  Cambridge,  Sidney  Sussex  College. 

370.  Cambridge,  St.  Peter's  College. 

371.  Cambridge,  Trinity  College. 

372.  Oxford,  Christ  Church. 

373.  Oxford,  Christ  Church,  another  view. 

374.  Oxford,  Radcliffe  Library. 

375.  Theatre  and  Printing  House,  Oxford. 

AMERICAN  VIEWS. 
Ralph  Stevenson. 
Colour,  dark  blue. 
Border.    Vine  leaves. 

376.  Almshouse,  Boston. 

377.  Almshouse,  New  York. 


THE   OLD   CHINA   BOOK. 

378.  Battery,  New  York. 

379.  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

380.  Boston  Hospital. 

381.  Boston  Hospital  with  canal  in  foreground. 

382.  Brooklyn  Ferry. 

383.  Charleston  Exchange. 

384.  Columbia  College,  New  York. 

385.  City  Hall.  New  York. 

386.  Esplanade  and  Castle  Garden,  New  York, 

387.  Fort  Ganzevoort,  New  York. 

388.  Fulton  Market,  New  York. 

389.  Hospital,  New  York. 

390.  Lawrence  Mansion,  Boston. 

391.  Massachusetts  Hospital,  Boston. 

392.  Savannah  Bank. 

393.  Washington,  Capitol. 


AMERICAN  VIEWS. 

R.  Stevenson  &  Williams. 

Generally  marked,  "  R.  S.  IV." 
Colour,  dark  blue. 

Border.  Oak  leaves  and  acorns. 

394.  American  Museum  (Scudder's),  New  York. 

395.  Baltimore  Exchange. 

396.  Boston  Court  House. 

397.  Boston  State  House. 

398.  Columbia  College. 

399.  City  Hotel,  New  York, 

400.  Harvard  College  (showing  one  building), 

401.  Harvard  College  (showing  group  of  buildings). 

402.  Harvard  College  (showing  buildings,  figures,  etc). 

403.  Nahant  Hotel,  near  Boston. 

404.  Nahant  Hotel,  near  Boston,  with  large  tree. 

405.  Park  Theatre,  New  York. 

406.  Philadelphia  Water  Works. 


LISTOFVIEWS.  269 

407.  Washington,  Capitol.  This  view  is  found  with  acorn 
and  leaf  border,  or  with  white  embossed  border,  or 
with  four  medallion  portraits,  of  Washington,  Lafayette, 
JefTerson  and  Clinton. 

PORTRAIT  AND  MEDALLION  PLATES. 

R.  Stevenson  and  Williams. 

Colour,  dark  blue. 

Border.     Flowers  and  scrolls. 

408.  Portraits  of  Lafayette  and  Washington. 

409.  Washington,  Jefferson,  Lafayette  and  Clinton  (portraits). 
Aqueduct  Bridge  at  Rochester. 

Erie  Canal  as  it  enters  the  Hudson  at  Albany. 

AMERICAN  VIEWS. 

"R.S." 

Colours  various. 

Border.     Lace  pattern  with  roses. 

410.  Erie  Canal  at  Buffalo. 

41 1.  View  of  City  of  New  Orleans. 

ENGLISH  VIEWS 

R.  Stevenson. 
Colour,  dark  blus. 

Border.    Acorns  and  oak  leavos 

413.    Endsleigh  Cottage. 

413.  Harewood  House. 

414.  Kenmount  House. 

415.  Oxburgh  Hall. 

416.  Windsor  Castle. 

417.  Windsor    Castle,    with     four    portraits;    Washington, 

Lafayette,  Jefferson  and  Clinton,  and  having  view  of 
Rochester  Aqueduct  Bridge  at  base. 


t7o  THE   OLD   CHINA   BOOK. 

"PANORAMIC  SCENERY." 
R.  S. 
Colour,  dark  blue* 

Border.    Foliage. 

418.  Fonthill  Abbey. 

ENGLISH  VIEWS. 

R.  S. 

Colours,  various. 

Border.     Lace  pattern  with  flowers. 

419.  Eton  Hall. 

"BRITISH  LAKES." 

R.  S. 

Colours,  various. 

Border.      Flowers,  scrolls,  etc. 

420.  Lake  Windermere. 

AMERICAN  VIEWS. 

E.  G.  Phillips  &  Co. 

Colour,  dark  blue. 

Border.   Foliage. 

421.    Franklin's  Tomb. 

ENGLISH  VIEWS. 

E.  G.  Phillips  &  Co. 

Colour,  dark  blue* 

Border.    Flowers  and  scrolls, 

43a.    Eton  College. 

AMERICAN  VIEWS. 

T.  Mayer. 

Cclowr,  dark  hbie. 

Border.    Trumpet  flowers  and  wheels. 

423.  Arms  of  Connecticut. 

424.  Arms  of  Delaware. 


LISTOFVIEWS.  tji 

425.  Arms  of  Georgia. 

426.  Arms  of  Maryland. 

427.  Arms  of  Massachusetts. 

428.  Arms  of  New  Jersey. 

429.  Arms  of  New  York. 

430.  Arms  of  North  Carolina. 

431.  Arms  of  Pennsylvania. 

432.  Arms  of  Rhode  Island. 

433.  Arms  of  South  Carolina. 

434.  Arms  of  Virginia. 

Border,  Foliage, 

435.  Tomb  of  Washington. 

AMERICAN  VIEWS. 

W.  Adams  &  Son. 

(W.  A.  &  S.) 

Colour,  dark,  blue. 

Border.     Foliage, 

436.  Mitchell  and  Freeman's  china  and  glass  warehouse, 
Chatham  St.,  Boston. 

COLUMBUS  VIEWS. 
Colours,  various. 

Border.     Medallions,  animals  and  flowers. 

437.  Columbus  Landing.     Two  Indians  seated  in  foreground, 
white  men  walking  up  from  beach. 

438.  Columbus  with  fleet  in  distance.    Two  figures  in  fore- 
ground. 

439.  Columbus  with  fleet  in  distance.    Three  figures  in  fore- 
ground. 

440.  Columbus.     Tent    view.    Columbus  and    horse,  four 
tents,  and  two  Indians. 

441.  Columbus  and  mounted  soldiers.     Five  Indians,  etc. 

442.  Columbus.     Squaw  seated  and  Indian  standing.     Fleet 
at  anchor. 

443.  Columbus  with  dogs  and  Indian.    Tents  and  boats  in 
distance. 

444.  Columbus,  Indians  shooting  at  bird,  seated  figures  also. 


272  THE    OLD   CHINA   BOOK. 

AMERICAN  VIEWS. 

(W.  A.  &  S.) 

Colours,  various. 

Border,    Roses,  medallions,  and  scrolls. 

445.  Catskill  Mt.  House,  United  States. 

446.  Falls  of  Niagara,  United  States. 

447.  Fort  Niagara,  United  States. 

448.  Harper's  Ferry,  United  States. 

449.  Headquarters  of  the  Juniata,  United  States. 

450.  Humphreys,  United  States. 

451.  Lake  George,  United  States. 

452.  Military  School,  West  Point,  New  York,  United  States. 

453.  Monte  Video,  Connecticut,  United  States. 

454.  New  York,  United  States, 

455.  Schenectady  on  the  Mohawk  River. 

456.  Shannondale  Springs,  Virginia,  United  States. 

457.  View  near  Conway,  New  Hampshire,  United  States. 

Border.     Medallion  of  sailor  and  ship. 

458.  New  York  (Man  and  woman  in  foreground). 

ENGLISH  VIEWS. 

W.  Adams. 
Colour,  dark  blue. 

Border.     Foliage.     Name  of  scene  on  back. 

459.  Bank  of  England. 

460.  Regent's  Park,  London,  Clarence  Terrace. 

461.  Regent's  Park,  London,  Cornwall  Terrace. 

462.  Regent's  Park,  London,  Hanover  Terrace. 

463.  Regent's  Park,  London.  The  Holme. 

464.  Regent's  Park,  London,  York  Gate. 

465.  Regent's  Street,  London. 

466.  Regent's  Street,  St.  George's  Chapel, 

467.  St.  Paul's  School,  London. 

468.  The  London  Institution. 

469.  Villa  in  Regent's  Park.     Two  persons  in  foreground. 

470.  Villa  in  Regent's  Park.     Horse  and  carriage  in  scene. 

47 1.  Villa  in  Regent's  Park,    People  and  dogs  in  background. 


LISTOFVIEWS.  27} 

Border.     Bluebells  and  various  flowers. 
Marked  on  back  with  view  and  name, 

472.  Beckenham  Place,  Kent. 

473.  Bothwell  Castle,  Clydesdale. 

474.  Branxholm  Castle,  Roxburghshire. 

475.  Brecon  Castle,  Brecknockshire. 

476.  Bywell  Castle,  Northumberland. 

477.  Dilston  Tower,  Northumberland. 

478.  Hawthornden,  Edinburghshire. 

479.  Jedburgh  Abbey,  Roxburghshire. 

480.  Melrose  Abbey,  Roxburghshire. 

481.  Morpeth  Castle,  Northumberland. 

482.  Scaleby  Castle,  Cumberland. 

483.  St.  Mary's  Abbey,  York. 

484.  Windsor  Castle,  Berkshire. 

Border.     Large  flowers,  leaves  and  scrolls. 

485.  Armidale,  Invernesshire. 

486.  Blenheim,  Oxfordshire. 

487.  Braham  Park,  Yorkshire. 

488.  Carstairs,  Lanarkshire. 

489.  Denton  Park,  Yorkshire. 

490.  Fleurs,  Roxburghshire. 

491.  Gracefield,  Queen's  County,  Ireland. 

492.  Glanbran,  Carmarthenshire. 

493.  Murthly,  Perthshire. 

494.  Pishobury,  Hertfordshire. 

495.  Rode  Hall,  Cheshire. 

Border.     Foliage  and  flowers. 

496.  Denton  Park,  Yorkshire. 

Border.     Scroll  edge  and  foliage, 

497.  Northumberland  Castle. 

498.  St.  Catherine's  Hill,  near  Guilford. 

AMERICAN  VIEWS. 
J.  AND  J.  Jackson. 
Colours,  various. 

Border.     Flowers,  bunches  of  roses. 

499.  Albany,  New  York. 

500.  At  Richmond,  Virginia. 


274  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

501.  Battery,  New  York. 

502.  Battle  Monument,  Baltimore. 

503.  Catskill  Mountain  House,  New  York. 

504.  Castle  Garden,  N.  Y. 

505.  City  Hall,  N.  Y. 

506.  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum,  Philadelphia, 

507.  Fort  Conanicut,  Rhode  Island. 

508.  Fort  Ticonderoga,  New  York. 

509.  Girard's  Bank,  Philadelphia. 

510.  Hancock  House,  Boston. 

511.  Hartford,  Conn. 

512.  Harvard  Hall. 

513.  Iron  Works  at  Saugerties. 

514.  Lake  George. 

515.  Little  Falls,  Mohawk  River. 

516.  Monte  Video,  Hartford. 

517.  Newburg,  New  York. 

518.  New  Haven,  Conn. 

519.  Richmond  Court  House. 

520.  Shannondale  Springs,  Virginia, 

521.  Skenectady,  Mohawk  River. 

522.  State  House,  Boston. 

523.  The  President's  House,  Washington. 

524.  The  Race  Bridge,  Philadelphia. 

525.  The  Water  Works,  Philadelphia. 

526.  White  Sulphur  Springs,  Town  of  Delaware,  Ohio. 

527.  Yale  College  and  State  House,  New  Haven. 


AMERICAN  VIEWS. 
J.  Rogers  &  Son. 

Colour,  dark  blue. 

Border.     Roses  and  forget- me-nota. 

528.  Boston  State  House,  without  cows  or  chaise. 

529.  Boston  State  House,  with  cows. 

530.  Boston  State  House,  with  chaise. 


LIST    OF    VIEWS.  175 

AMERICAN  VIEWS. 
Thomas  Godwin. 
Coloursp  various. 

Border.     Morning-glory  and  Nasturtium. 

531.  Boston  and  Bunker  Hill. 

532.  Brooklyn  Ferry. 

533.  City  of  Baltimore. 

534.  Columbia  Bridge.  Pennsylvania, 

535.  Schuylkill  Water  Works. 

536.  The  Capitol,  Washington. 

537.  The  Narrows  from  Fort  Hamilton. 

538.  Utica,  N.  Y. 

AMERICAN  VIEWS. 

S.  Tams  &  Co. 
Colour,  dark  blue. 

Border,    Foliage. 

539.  United  States  Hotel,  Philadelphia. 

540.  State  Capitol,  Harrisburg,  Pa. 

PORTRAIT  PLATES. 
Colour,  medium  blue, 

541.  General  W.  H.  Harrison. 
543.    Henry  Clay. 

ENGLISH  VIEWS. 

S.  Tams  &  Co.    Tams,  Anderon  &  Co.  etc. 

Colour,  dark  blue. 

Border.    Foliagie; 

543.  Drury  Lane  Theatre. 

544.  Dublin  Post  Office. 

545.  Opera  House,  London, 

546.  Royal  Exchange,  London. 

547.  Somerset  House,  London. 


376  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

AMERICAN   VIEWS. 
Joseph  Heath  &  Co. 

(J.  H.  &  Co.) 
Colours,  various, 

548.  Ontario  Lake  Scenery. 

549.  Monterey. 

550.  The  residence  of  Richard  Jordan. 

AMERICAN   VIEWS. 
Charles  Meigh. 

(C.  M.) 
Colours,  various. 

Border.  "  American  cities  and  scenery  '*  series,  small  flowers,  etc 

551.  Baltimore. 

552.  Boston  Mill  Dam, 

553.  Boston  from  Dorchester  Heights. 

554.  City  Hall,  New  York. 

555.  Hudson  City,  New  York. 

556.  Little  Falls,  New  York. 

557.  Schuylkill  Water  Works,  Philadelphia. 

558.  Utica,  N.  Y. 

559.  Yale  College,  New  Haven. 

AMERICAN  VIEWS. 

Thomas  Green. 
Colours,  various. 

Border.    Geometric  patterns  in  pointed  design. 

560.  Penn  standing  with  two  other  figures,  squaw  kneeling. 

561.  Penn  standing.     Other  figures  and  man  kneeling. 

562.  Penn  seated.     Two  figures  standing,  squaw  kneeling. 

563.  Penn  and  Indian  standing,  man  seated,  squaw  lying 
down. 


LISTOFVIEWS.  2?7 

564.  Penn  and  man  standing,  Indian  and  squaw  also  stand- 

ing. 

565.  Penn  and   man  standing.     Three  Indians  seated  and 
lying  down. 

AMERICAN  VIEWS. 
J.  &  T.  Edwards. 
Colours,  various. 

Border.     "  Boston  Mails  "  series,  medallions  of  steamships, 

566.  Ladies'  Cabin. 

567.  Gentlemen's  Cabin,  with  three  figures. 

568.  Gentlemen's  Cabin  with  four  figures. 

AMERICAN  VIEWS. 

Mellor.  Venables  &  Co. 

Colours,  various. 

Border.     Medallions   of    State   Arms   and     small     flowers. 

569.  Rear  View  of  White  House. 

570.  Capitol  Buildings  of  different  States, 

571.  Caldwell,  Lake  George. 

572.  Fort  Hamilton,  New  York. 

573.  Little  Falls,  New  York. 

574.  View  of  Mount  Vernon. 
57$.     Washington's  Tomb. 

AMERICAN  VIEWS. 
Makers  Unknown. 
Colour,  dark  blue. 

Border.     Large  flowers  and  scrolls. 

576.  Albany,  N.   Y. 

577.  A  View  near  Philadelphia. 

578.  Baltimore,  Maryland. 

579.  Chillicothe,  Ohio. 

580.  Columbus,  Ohio. 

581.  Detroit,  Michigan. 

582.  Hobart  Town. 


278  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

583.  Irvdianapolis,  Indiana. 

584.  Louisville,  Ky. 

585.  Near  Fishkill,  N.  Y. 

586.  Penn's  Tree,  Philadelphia. 

587.  Quebec. 

588.  Richmond,  Virginia. 

589.  Sandusky,  Ohio. 

590.  South  America,  Buenos  Ayres. 

591.  Washington,  District  of  Columbia. 

592.  Wright's  Ferry  on  the  Susquehanna. 

Border.     Flowers,  narcissus,  etc. 

593.  Cadmus. 

594.  B.  &  O.  Railroad. 

595.  Fulton's  Steamboat. 

Border.     Fruit  and  flowers. 

596.  Court  House,  Baltimore. 

597.  Exchange,  Baltimore. 

598.  Dam  and  Water  Works,  Philadelphia  (side-wheel  boat). 

599.  Dam  and  water  works,  Philadelphia  (stern-wheel  boat). 

Borders.     Various. 

600.  Almshouse,  Baltimore. 

601.  Arms  of  Connecticut.     Marked  "  Oliver  Stoke," 

602.  Boston  Harbour. 

603.  Castle  Garden,  New  York. 

604.  Harvard  University. 

605.  Mount  Vernon,  "  The  seat  of  the  late  Gen'I  Washing- 
ton." 

606.  Mason's  Temple,  Philadelphia. 

607.  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  Mott  Street,  N.  Y. 

608.  University  of  Maryland. 


INSCRIPTION  PLATES  OR  OTHER  PIECES. 
Makers  Unknown. 
Colour,  dark  blue. 

Borders.     Various. 

609.  Eulogy  plate.     De  Witt  Chnton  inscription. 

610.  Utica  plate. 


LIST    OF    VIEWS 


279 


611.  Lovejoy  design. 

613.  Millennium  plate. 

AMERICAN  VIEWS. 
Makers  Unknown. 
Colours,  various. 

Border.     Phoenix  and  engine. 

613.  Merchant's  Exchange,  burning. 

614.  Merchant's  Exchange,  ruins. 

615.  New  York,  Coenties  Slip,  burning. 

Borders,    Various. 

616.  Albany. 

617.  Albany  Theatre. 

618.  American  Flag. 

619.  America  Triumphant 

620.  Arms  of  the  United  States,  blue  or  coloured. 

621.  Aqueduct  Bridge  at  Little  Falls. 

622.  Battery,  New  York. 

623.  Boston  Court  House. 

624.  Boston  State  House. 

625.  Bunker  Hill  Monument,  Boston, 

626.  Capitol,  Washington. 

627.  City  Hall.  Albany. 

628.  "Constitution."     (Ship.) 

629.  Dumb  Asylum,  Philadelphia. 

630.  Executive  Mansion,  Washington. 

631.  Fight  between  "  Constitution  "  and  **  Guerriere." 

632.  Fort  Hudson,  New  York. 

633.  Fort  Niagara. 

634.  Franklin. 

635.  Harrison  Log  Cabin. 

636.  Harvard  College. 

637.  The  Narrows,  Fort  Hamilton. 

638.  Mount  Vernon.     Man  and  horse. 

639.  Mount  Vernon.    Seat  of  the  late  Genl  Washington. 

640.  Mormon  Tabernacle. 

641.  New  York  from  Weehawken. 


THE    OLD   CHINA    BOOK. 

642.  Old  Cathedral,  New  Orleans.     (Municipality  No.  1   on 
face  o'f  design.) 

643.  Niagara. 

644.  Niagara  Falls. 

645.  Pennsylvania. 

646.  Primitive  Methodist  Preachers. 

647.  Thorps  and  Sprague,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

648.  Utica,  N.Y. 

649.  Virginia. 

650.  White  House,  Washington. 

MEDALLION  AND  OTHER  PORTRAIT  PLATES. 

Makers  given  when  identified. 

Colour,  dark  blue. 

Four  Portraits. 

651.  Washington,  Lafayette,  Jefferson  and  Clinton. 
Windsor  Castle  (17  inch  platter.) 
Rochester  Aqueduct  Bridge.     R.  S.  W 

652.  Washington,  Lafayette,  Jefferson  and  Clinton. 
Park  Theatre,  New  York,     (ten  inch  plates.) 

(This  may  have  at  the  base  either  Aqueduct  Bridge  at 
Rochester,  or  at  Little  Falls,  or  Entrance  of  Erie  Canal 
into  the  Hudson  at  Albany.)  R.  S.  W. 

653.  Washington,  Lafayette,  Jefferson  and  Clinton. 
Niagara,     (ten  inch  plates.) 

(This  may  have  at  base  either  Erie  Canal  at  Albany, 
or  Rochester  Aqueduct  Bridge.)     A.  Stevenson. 

654.  Washington,  Jefferson,  Lafayette  and  Clinton. 
Faulkbourn  Hall.     (Nine  and  ten  inch  plates.) 

(This  may  have  at  base  either  Entrance  of  Erie  Canal 
into  the  Hudson  at  Albany,  or  Rochester  Aqueduct 
Bridge.)     A.  Stevenson. 

655.  Washington,  Lafayette,  Jefferson  and  Clinton. 
Aqueduct  Bridge,  Little  Falls.     (Fruit  dish.)     R.  S.  W. 

656.  Washington,  Jefferson,  Lafayette  and  Clinton. 
Albany  Theatre  (vegetable  dish).     R.  S.  W. 

657.  Washington,  Jefferson,  Lafayette  and  Clinton. 

Dutch  church  at  Albany  (vegetable  dish).         R.  S.  W, 


LISTOFVIEWS.  281 

658.  Washington,  Jefferson,  Lafayette  and  Clinton. 
Writtle  Lodge.     (Ten  inch  soup  plates.) 
(Rose  border  at  base.)    A.  Stevenson. 

659.  Washington,  Jefferson,  Lafayette  and  Clinton. 
Rochester  Aqueduct  Bridge  on  one  side. 

Erie  Canal  at  Albany  on  the  other  side.     (Pitcher.) 

R.  Stevenson  and  Williams. 

660.  Washington,  Clinton,  Chancellor  Kent  and  Peter  Stuy- 
vesant. 

Capitol  at  Albany.     (Wash  bowl  and  pitcher.) 

R.  S.  W. 
Two  Portraits. 

661.  Washington  and  Lafayette. 

City  Hotel.  N.  Y.     (Nine  inch  plates.) 
(This  may  have  at  base  either  Little  Falls  Aqueduct 
Bridge;  or  Rochester  Aqueduct  Bridge  ;  or  Erie  Canal 
at  Albany.)  R.  S.  W. 

662.  Washington  and  Lafayette. 

Capitol  at  Washington.     (Ten  inch  plate.) 
Little  Falls  Aqueduct  Bridge. 

663.  Washington  and  Lafayette, 

(Two  portraits  in  centre,  surrounded  by  heavy  scrolls.) 

R.  S.  W. 

664.  Washington  and  Clinton, 

Boston  Hospital.     (Nine  inch  plates.) 

(Erie  Canal  at  Albany,  or  Aqueduct  Bridge  at  Little 

Falls.)  R.  S.  V/. 

665.  Washington  and  Clinton. 
Faulkbourn  Hall.     (Nine  inch  plates.) 

(This  may  have  at  base  either  Rochester,  or  Little  Falls 
Aqueduct  Bridge.) 

666.  Washington  and  Clinton. 

Park  Theatre.  N,  Y.     (Nine  inch  plates.) 

(This  may  have  at  base  either  Rochester,  or  Little  Falls 

Aqueduct  Bridge.) 

667.  Washington  and  Clinton. 

Capitol  at  Washington.     (Nine  inch  plates.) 
Erie  Canal  at  Albany. 


«8a  THEOLDCHINABOOK. 

668.  Washington  and  Clinton. 
Niagara.     (Nine  inch  plates.) 
Erie  Canal  at  Albany. 

669.  Jefferson  and  Clinton. 

Boston  Hospital.     (Nine  inch  plates.) 
Rochester  Aqueduct  Bridge. 

670.  Jefferson  and  Clinton. 

Park  Theatre,  N.  Y.    (Nine  inch  plates.) 
Little  Falls,  Aqueduct  Bridge. 

671.  Jefferson  and  Clinton. 
Albany,  Capitol. 

Little  Falls  Aqueduct  Bridge. 

672.  Jefferson  and  Lafayette. 
Boston  Hospital. 
Rochester  Aqueduct  Bridge. 

673.  Jefferson  and  Lafayette. 
Capitol  at  Washington. 
Rochester  Aqueduct  Bridge. 

674.  Clinton. 

St.  Paul's  Chapel,  N.  Y.     (Six-inch  plates.) 
Rochester  Aqueduct  Bridge.     R.  S.  W. 

675.  Jefferson. 

Columbia  College,  N.  Y.     (Seven  and  one-half  inch 

plates.) 

Little  Falls  Aqueduct  Bridge.     R.  S.  W. 

676.  Bainbridge,  with  motto — "  Avast," — etc. 

677.  Bro\v;\  with  view  of  Niagara  and  emblems. 

678.  Captain  Jones,  of  the  "Macedonian." 

679.  Decatur.     Free  trade  and  Sailors'  rights. 

680.  General  Jackson. 

681.  Hull.    Captain  of  the  Constitution. 

682.  Jackson,  "  Hero  of  New  Orleans." 

683.  Paine.  Tom  (on  mug). 

684.  Perry,  (small  head). 

685.  Perry,  full  figure,  also  with  motto,  "  We  have  met  the 
enemy,  and  they  are  ours." 

686.  Pike,  (small  head  with  motto,  "  Be  ready,"  etc.) 
686a.  Lafayette  (small  head  with  inscription),  "  He  was  born 

at  Auvergne,"  etc.) 


LISTOFVIEWS.  283 

ENGLISH  VIEWS. 

R.  Hall. 
Colour,  dark  blue. 

Border.     Fruit,  flowers,  lace  edge.     Scroll  on  back,   with  "  Select 
Views." 

687.  Biddulph  Castle. 

688.  Boughton  Castle,  Northamptonshire. 

689.  Bramber  Church,  Sussex. 

690.  Castle  Prison,  St.  Albans. 

691.  Conway  Castle,  Carnarvonshire. 

692.  Eashing  Park,  Surrey. 

693.  Gyrn,  Flintshire. 

'     694.     Luscombe,  Devonshire. 

695.  Pain's  Hill,  Surrey. 

696.  St.  Charles'  Church. 

697.  Valle  Crucis  Abbey,  Wales. 

698.  Warleigh  House,  Somersetshire. 

699.  Wilderness,  Kent. 

PICTURESQUE  SCENERY. 
Border.    Large  flowers. 

700.  Broadlands,  Hampshire. 

701.  Cashiobury,  Hertfordshire. 

702.  Dunsany  Castle,  Ireland. 

703.  Fulham  Church,  Middlesex. 

704.  Llanarth  Court,  Monmouthshire. 

ENGLISH  VIEWS. 

J.  W.  Riley. 
Colour,  dark  blue. 

Border.     Large  scrolls. 

705.  Bickley,  Kent. 

706.  Cannon  Hall,  Yorkshire. 

707.  Goggerddan,  Cardiganshire. 

708.  Hollywell  Cottage,  Cavan. 

709.  King's  Cottage,  Windsor  Park. 

710.  Kingsweston,  Gloucestershire. 

711.  Taymouth  Castle,  Perthshire. 


WORKS  ON  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN 
CONSULTED. 

Jewitt's  "Ceramic  Art  of  Great  Britain." 

Chaffer's  "  Marks  and  Monograms." 

Mrs.  Bury  Palliser's  "  The  China  Collector's  Pocket  Companion. 

Miss  Metayard's  "  Life  of  Wedgwood." 

Miss  Metayard's  "  The  Wedgwood  Handbook." 

Downing's  "  English  Pottery  and  Porcelain." 

"  History  of  Staffordshire." 

"  Aikin  on  Pottery." 

Binn's  "  A  Century  of  Potting  in  the  City  of  Worcester." 

Dossie's  "  Handmaid  to  the  Arts." 

Faulkner's  "  History  of  Chelsea." 

Nash's  "  History  of  Worcester." 

Owen's  "  Two  Centuries  of  Ceramic  Art  in  BristoL" 

Litchfield's  "  Pottery  and  Porcelain." 

Young's  "  Ceramic  Art," 

Marryat's  "  Pottery  and  Porcelain." 

Jacquemart's  "  History  of  Ceramic  Art." 

Audsley  Bowes'  "  Keramic  Art  of  Japan." 

Shaw's  "  History  of  Staffordshire  Potteries." 

Haslem's  "  Old  Derby  China  Factory." 

Church's  "  English  Porcelain." 

Prime's  "Pottery  and  Porcelain." 

Barber's  "  Anglo-American  Pottery." 

Earle's  "China  Collecting  in  America." 

"  Old  China  Magazine." 


INDEX. 


Abbey,  Fountains 

Abbey,  Richard 

Abbey  and  Graham 

Aqueduct  at  Rochester 

Acorn  border,  china 

Adams,  W.  &  Sons 

Adams'  borders 

Advertisement  for  a  Wife 

Africa,  views  of 

Albany,  N.  Y. 

Albany,  Entrance  of  Canal  at 

Albany  &  Schenectady  R.  R. 

Alcock,  Samuel  &  Co. 

Almshouse,  N.  Y. 

America,  view 

America  Independent 

American  Cities  and  Scenery  Series 

American  Marine 

American  Views       22,  23,  24,  27,  28 

Andreoli,  Georgio 

Antiquarian  Society  at  Concord 

Apostle  pitcher 

Apotheosis  jug  . 

Arms  jugs 

Arms  of  Delaware 

Arms  of  Liverpool 

Baker's  Arms  jug 
Baltimore,  view  of 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  R.  R 
Baltimore  Exchange 
Bainbridge,  Commodore 


34.  35 


34. 


18,  21 


37.44. 
6,  no, 


Fonthill  54 

104,  106 

.     106 

,  89,  91,  92 

89.91 

,  66,  83,  167 

34 

32 

26 

76 

22 

44 

237.  239 

27,42 

.      74 

21 

.  73 
.      74 

47.  54.  83,  88 
.     171 

138,  152,  174 

44.45 
.  90 
104,  106 
.  62 
.     107 

.     105 

70,  n 
.  n 
.  45 
.     97 


286                                     INDEX 

. 

Barlow,  Thomas 

.     179 

Barber.  E.  A.    . 

29,  75 

Basaltes 

96,  141,  166,  185,  196 

Bat  printing       .            .            . 

.     144 

Battery.  The      . 

,         18, 19. 20,  ^^ 

Battle  of  Bunker  Hill  view 

.    48 

Battle  of  Stonington  view 

.   113 

"  Beauties  of  America  "  Series 

41-45 

Bell  House  Works 

.190 

Bellarmines 

.   2,9 

Bcntley,  Thomas 

201 

,  202,205,206, 207, 213, 215 

Billingsley,  Wm. 

135, 161, 162 

Birch,  E.  J.        . 

168, 170 

Biscuit    . 

7 

Blacksmith's  Arms  jug 

.   105 

Black  ware 

.     15 

Black  Works    . 

206, 208 

Bloor— Derby 

135. 136 

Borders  on  china 

.     73. 75. 11'  81. 103 

Boston,       20,  21,  30.     Common,  36. 

Octagon  church  42,  47,  49, 

50.     Tea  Party,  245,  246 

Boston  Hospital 

42,  92 

Boston  Mail  Series 

•      74 

Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts 

.    15,  140,  157 

Boston  State  House 

36.69 

Bottcher 

147.  242 

Bow 

.  7,  125,  127-129,  143 

Bow— Chelsea— Derby 

.     136 

Branxholm  Castle  view 

.      66 

Bristol    . 

7,  125,  136-139 

British  Flowers  Series  . 

.      57 

British  Lake  Scries 

.      54 

British  Museum 

133.  168 

Brittannia 

.     132 

Buck's  Arms  jugs 

.     105 

Buckhorn  Tavern 

.      52 

Bucknall  &  Stevenson 

.      27 

Burke,  Edmund 

.     137 

INDEX 


287 


Burleigh,  Lord              • 

4 

Burslem 

.  12.  35 

,  61,  67,  74,  wharf,  70 

Burton-upon-Trent        • 

.     136 

Butcher's  Arms  jug      . 

.     105 

Byerley,  Thomas          . 

.     213 

••  C.  C" 

44 

"  Cadmus "       ,           . 

.     15. 76.  n 

Calcutta 

.     26 

Caldwell,  James            . 

16. 17 

Canal,  Erie 

21,  89 

Canadian  views 

.    23 

Cape  Coast  Castle 

.     26 

Capitol  at  Washington 

.      42,  44,  50 

Castles,  English           .           , 

24.  25.  30.  33.  34 

Castle  Garden.  N.  Y.    . 

18,  19,  29,  45 

Castleford  ware 

181-184 

Cathedrals,  English      . 

33.  34 

Catherine  of  Russia     . 

.            .     209 

CatskiU  . 

.       18 

Catskill  Mountain  House 

20,  46 

CatskiU  Moss  Series     . 

.       44 

Caughley  pottery 

.   59,  i^ 

25,  146,  162,  163,  164 

Cauldon  Place  pottery. 

.      43 

Celtic  china                   .            , 

22 

Chaffers,  Richard 

37.  104 

Chamberlain  Bros. 

.     145 

Chamberlain  Works    . 

.  146,  147,  162 

Champion,  Richard      ,            . 

.  136,  137.  148 

"  Chancellor  Livingston  " 

.      30 

"  Cha-no-yu  "  . 

.     242 

Chelsea. 

7.  125,  I 

27-133.  138.  142,  143 

Chelsea  Derby . 

134.  136 

CheyneWalk    . 

.     130 

«'  Chickweed  "  border  . 

.      73 

Chinese  ware    . 

.     137 

Christ  and  the  Woman  of  Samaria      .           , 

.      23 

Churchyard  Works 

. 

.     iSS 

255                                                I  n 
City  Hall  N.  Y. 

U  C  A  ■ 

47.  69 

City  Hotel,  N.  Y. 

.       51,  52.  84 

City  of  New  Orleans    . 

.      53 

Clay,  Henry      . 

.      71 

Clementson,  J  . 

.       58 

Clews,  Ralph  and  James     26, : 

7.  29. 3 

0-32.  3A 

t.  35.38.45.46,66,92 

Clinton,  De  Witt 

.      89.  91,  92 

Clive,  Kitty 

.     127 

Coalport 

.     163 

Cobridge 

12,27-29,35,48.92 

Coenties  Slip,  N.  Y.      . 

.      82 

Collection,  Walpole's   . 

10,  133 

Colles,  Christopher 

.        9 

"  Colour  blue "              .            « 

.     124 

Columbia  College         ,            , 

.       27.  52.  53 

Columbus  Series           ,            , 

.      6s 

Comb,  William             .            « 

.      32 

Conway,  N.  H. 

.      65 

Continental  Views  Series 

.     119 

Cookworthy,  William   . 

137,  147-149 

Cornwallis  jug              .            . 

.           .           .180 

Cottage  china  ware 

.     138 

Country  Seats  and  Castles 

.      25 

Cowes  . 

.      25 

Cremorne  Gardens,  Eng. 

.     130 

Cromwell,  Oliver 

.     139 

Crouch  ware     . 

3 

Crown-Derby    .            • 

134.  135.  136 

Crown  Works,  London 

.      71 

Cup  plates 

45.  46.  53.  55 

Custom  House              • 

.      30 

Cyrene  design               • 

.      83 

Dale  Hall  Works 

35.  61 

Davenport         .            . 

140.  235 

Delaware,  Arms  of 

.      62 

Delft      ...          a 

t,  10,  English  124,  125.  Old,  125,  137 

Derby    . 

.  7.12 

5.  129, 

133-136,  138,  142,  143 

INDEX. 

289 

Diana    .            , 

.    133 

Dillon    . 

.      83 

Don  Quixote  designs 

31,33.46 

Downing's  "  English 

Pottery  < 

ind  Porcelain," 

.      66 

Dr.  Syntax  designs 

32-34 

Dragon  pattern 

.      60 

Dresden  models 

132.  137,  138 

Dublin,  Ireland 

.     25,  27,  view  of,  71 

Duesbury,  Mr.  . 

133.  134.  136 

Duesbury  and  Kean 

.     136 

Duke  of  York   . 

20 

Dulwich  Castle. 

.       34 

Dunderdale,  David 

.     181 

Dutch  . 

.       3.  20,  130 

East  India  Trading  Co.           , 

.    3,4 

East  Indies 

.    3.5 

Eaton  Hall 

.      54 

Edwards,  J.  and  T. 

.      74 

Egyptian  Black  ware 

.     166 

Elers  Bros. 

5,  166,242 

Encaustic  painted  ware 

.     204 

England,  Potter's  Art 

.    2,3 

English  Cities  Series 

.      25 

English  Delft    . 

124.  125 

English  Views  23, 24, 

28.  33.  34 

,  37,  44, 46,  47, 

53.57.9 

I,  wares  27,  59 

Entrance  of  Canal  at 

Albany 

22-89 

Erie  Canal 

21,  89 

Erie  Canal  at  Buffalo 

.       53 

Eton  College    , 

.       57 

Etruria 

'12.83. 

103,  190,  206 

Eulogy  plate     . 

.      78 

Exchange.  N.  Y. 

.      81 

"  F.  M." 

.      74 

Faience 

.    2,8 

Falls  of  Montmorency 

.      23 

Falstaff 

. 

.        133,  134 

290 


NDEX. 


"  Fame  "          . 

.     133 

Farmer's  Arms 

•     105 

Faulkbourn  Hall 

.      91 

••FaulkstoneHall»' 

•      91 

Fenton              , 

•        13 

Figure  work     , 

.      14 

Fishkill  on  Hudson 

.      76 

Flat  ware 

8,  14,  18,  21,  133,  136 

Flaxman,  John 

202,211,212 

Flight,  John 

.    145 

Flight  and  Barr 

.     I4S 

Flip      . 

.   ^n 

"  Flow  blue  ••  . 

.     13 

Ford,  Thomas  . 

.      74 

Forgeries 

.      84 

"  Four  Elements,"  figures 

.     137 

"  Four  Seasons,"  figures 

.     137 

Franklin,  Benjamin 

54-56,  86.  95-97.  108 

Franklin's  Tomb 

54,  Toby.  241 

French  Views    . 

26,42 

*'  Frit  "  body 

.     143 

Fulton  Steamboat 

.      30 

George  H. 

130,132;  HI  123;  IV  118.  168 

Gilbert  Sale       . 

19 

Glaze     . 

.   3,  7.  12,  14 

Godwin,  Thomas          , 

.      70 

Gombron  Ware            , 

.    248 

Grainger  Works           . 

147.  163 

Greatback         .            , 

•           .           .    200 

"  Greased  "       ,            . 

.        9 

Green  Bros.       .            , 

.     139 

Green,  Chas.     . 

.     170 

Green,  Guy       .           . 

lOI,  I03,  103 

Green,  Thomas             • 

,      73 

Greenfield  Works 

,      64 

Gubbio,  City  of 

,     171 

Guilds  . 

,     106 

Guy's  Cliff 

.      25 

INDEX 


»« 


Hackwood,  William     , 

Hall,  I.  &  Sons  . 

Haigh  Sale  of  China,  Boston 

Hancock,  John  . 

Hancock  House,  view  . 

Hancock,  Robert  , 

Hanly    . 

Hard  Glaze 

Hard  Paste 

Harewood  House,  view 

Harpers  Ferry,  view     . 

Harrison  Campaign  Series 

Hartley  &  Green 

Harvard  College  plate . 

Harvard  Hall,  view 

Hatters  Arms  jug 

Heath,  Joseph  &  Co.    , 

Henry  VIII.      . 

Herculaneum  Pottery  . 

Hertford,  Marquis  of,  collection 

Hispano-Moresque  Pottery 

Holdship,  Richard       , 

Hollis  Hall,  view 

Holworthy  Hall,  view, 

Hudson  City,  view 

Hudson  River,  views  . 

Hudson  River  near  Fishkill,  view 

"  Hudson  River  Portfolio  "  by  Wall 

Humble  &  Green 

Hylton,  North . 

Impressed  stamp         • 
India,  views  of 
Indian  Scenery  Series 
Independence  inscription 
Inscription  pieces        • 
Intaglios  .  . 

Inventories  and  Wills . 
Iron-stone  ware  ,        • 


.   200 

.   58 

.    21 

36.67.68 

67.68 

144.  163 

12,41,  72 

7 

7.136 

54.91 

65.71 

.   43 

.  139 

.   52 

.   52 

.  105 

.   72 

.  129 

06,  113,  140 

II 

171.  172 

.  144 

.   52 

.   52 

.  77 

20,  28 

.   38 

.   31 

.  139 

.  "4 

IS.  17.  23 

.   36 

.    s« 

.  30 

.    78 

.   222 

121,  122 

.    58 

«9« 


INDEX. 


Ironworkers'  Arms  jug 

Isle  of  Wight  . 

Italian  Faience 

Italian  Scenery  Series  . 

Italy,  Views  of. 

"  Ivy"  ware 

Ivy  House  Works,  Wedgwood's 

"J.  B.". 

Jackson,  Andrew 

Jackson,  J.  &  J. 

Jameson,  Mrs.  . 

"  Japan  taste  " 

Jasper  ware       .  .  . 

"  Jassamine  "  ware 

Jefferson,  President      , 

Jewitt    .... 

Johnson,  Dr.     . 

Jordan,  Richard,  Residence,  view 

Jugs       .  .  2,9,16,44,45 

Justice,  figure  of 

Kenilworth  Castle 

Kent      .... 

King's  College  . 

Lafayette  .  15,  26,  29.  53,  56,  57, 

Lafayette  at  Franklin's  Tomb,  view 

Lake  George,  view 

Lake  Windermere,  \new 

Lakin  &  Poole  . 

Lambeth 

Landing  of  Lafayette,  view 

Landing  of  the  Pilgrims,  dinner  ser 

Lane  End  .  , 

Lawrence  Mansion,  Boston,  plate 

Lead  glaze 

Leeds  Old  Pottery 

Leeds  ware 


68.  84. 


57: 


104,  107  108 


86.  89, 


115.  13S. 


.  105 

.  25 

.  2,8 

.  58 

,  26 

.      58 
188,  189,  190 

.      74 

.      98 

(>1,  68,  83 

•  93 
.  143 
15,96 
.       58 

89.  91.  92,  95 
.  los 
.  135 
72,83 
109,  no,  234 
.     133 

.  25 
.  37 
.      53 

91.  93.  94,  97 
.  56 
i8,  77 
.      54 

*  170 
.     I2S 

39.45.84 

21 

12 

.      50 

3 

.     139 

139-142,  183 


INDEX. 

m 

Limehouse  Dock,  view             .           ,           .           .            .25 

Little  Fails        .            .            .           .           .           .             21,  22 

Little  Falls,  aqueduct  at           .            .            .            .            .21 

Liverpool            .         7,  103,  125,144;  ware  88,  100-123;  delft  100 

London  View  Series     .            .            .            .            .            .25 

Log  Cabin  design         .            .            .            .            .            .43 

Longport            .            .             .             .            .             .        12,  37,  54 

Longton  Place  .             .            .             .             .             .             .179 

Lovejoy  Cup-plate        .            .            .            .         46 ;  plate  79,  84 

Lowestoft           .            .            .    150,  151  ;  china  37,  125,  149-157 

Lumley  Castle  view      ......       34 

Lustre  decoration          .            .            .    141,  166-181  ;  goblets  176 

Majolica            .......         8 

"  Makers  Unknown"    .... 

.    28, 75-81 

Marks  on  China  : 

Alcocks 

.  239 

Bristol     ..... 

.  138 

Castleford           .... 

.  183 

Caughley  or  Salopian  ware        . 

.    60 

Clews 

.    35 

Davenport          .... 

.  235 

Derby     ..... 

134. 135 

Heath 

.    72 

Herculaneum      .            ,             ,             , 

.   107 

Leeds     

.   142 

Mayer     ..... 

61, 63 

Mason     ..... 

.  165 

Phillips 

54. 58 

Plymouth            .... 

.   149 

Ridgway            .... 

41.44 

Riley      ..... 

.    59 

Sadler  &  Green  .... 

.  103 

Spode      ..... 

.  159 

Stevenson           .            ,            .28,  53,  54, 

88,  89,  91,  94 

Stubbs    ..... 

.      37 

Swansea              .... 

.     160 

Tarns      ..... 

.      70 

»94                                      INDEX 

• 

Marks  on  China,  Continued. 

Wedgwood 

199,  200 

Wood     . 

.       14,  16,  17,  22,  25 

Worcester 

.            .            .146 

Mason  .           . 

.  s.  83 

Mason's  Ironstone  China 

164.  165 

Masonic  jugs    ,           .            .            . 

111,112,113 

Mayer,  Elijah   .           .           .            . 

168,  170 

Mayer,  T.         .           .           .            . 

.  5.  61 

Meakin              .           .           .            < 

.      83 

Medallions  on  flat  ware 

21,  25,  28,  30,  89,91, 

92,  95,  96 ;  basaltes  196,  201 

Meigh,  Charles 

.       5.  72,  236 

Mellor,  Venables  &  Co. 

.      74 

Mendenhall  Ferry  cup-plate    . 

.      46 

Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  N.  Y.    . 

88,96,155.247 

Mill  at  Charenton  plate 

.      26 

Millennium  plate          .           . 

.      80 

Milton,  John     .            .           • 

.    132 

Milk-maid  designs        . 

.      37 

Minton  figure    .            . 

.      83 

Minerva  figure  .            . 

.     133 

Mirror-knobs     . 

96.97 

Mitchell  &  Freeman  Warehouse 

.      64 

"  Monument  "  pitcher  . 

.    no 

Montgomery,  General. 

.     113 

Morris,  Robert 

.      55 

Mount  Vernon  views    . 

30.  45 

Mt.  Vernon 

.     181 

"  Myrtle  "  Ware 

.      58 

Music  Lesson,  group   . 

.    132 

Museum  of  Practical  Geology 

.    105 

Nadin,  Dr.        .           .           , 

.    136 

Nahant  plate    .            .           .            , 

.      37 

Nantgarw         ,            .           , 

125,  161 1-62 

Narrows,  The  .            .           .            . 

20 

Neale    .            ,            .           . 

.     167 

INDEX 

Neptune,  figure  of 

Newburg  on  the  Hudson 

Newcastle 

New  Hall  Works 

New  Orleans,  City  of,  view 

New  South  Church,  Boston 

New  York  Arms 

New  York  City 

New  York  from  Brooklyn  Heights,  views  of 

Niagara  ...         28 

North  Hylton    . 

Nottingham  Bear 

Octagon  Church,  Boston 
Old  Delft 

Old  Worcester  Works . 
Ontario  Lake  Scenery  . 
Oriental  China  . 
Oriental  Scenery  Series 

Palestine  designs 

Palliser,  Mrs.  Bury 

Palmer  &  Neale 

Painted  Ware    . 

Paste     . 

Pate-sur-pite    . 

Penn's  Treaty  view 

Pennsylvania  Arms 

Pepys    . 

Perry,  Commodore  O.  H. 

Philadelphia,  views  of  . 

Phillips,  E.  J.  &  Co.     . 

Phillips.  J. 

"  Phoenix  &  Engine  "  border 

Picturesque  Views  Series 

Pilgrims,  Landing  of,  design 

Pinxton 

Pitchers  .  12,  17, 

Pittsfield  Elm  plate 


19.  46.  5 
95  :  urn  94 


Table 


.  7.  10 


:8,  21,  44,  88,  107,  109, 
31 


39s 

.  133 
20,77 
.     115 

119.  137 
.  S3 
.  42 
.  62 
;  view  of,  65 
.      27 

Rock  22 
.  113 
.    251 


.  42 
.  125 
.  145 
.  72 
patterns  131 
.      58 

.      83 

.      129 

167,  170 
6 
.  5.7 
•  239 
.  73 
.      61 

4 

97.98,  113 

55.77 

54-58 

-     113 

8 

35.46 

21 

.      125 

no.  Ill,  113 

cup-plate  46 


296 


NDEX 


Planche 

.      134 

Plymouth          .           . 

7,  125,  147-149 

Porcelain 

.   3-8.  59.  136 

Portland  vase   . 

.     214 

Portraits 

28.  S3,  86-99 

Possett-pots     . 

.      3.9 

Potter,  Jonas     . 

6 

"  Pottery  and  Porcelain,"  by  W.  C.  Prime 

47 

Preble,  Commodore     . 

.      112 

Preston  Pans    .            , 

.      173 

Prime.  W.  C.  . 

.      37.47.129 

Printing  on  pottery 

.  13.  14 

Printed  ware    .            , 

,      6,  100-112 

"  Proof "  condition 

9 

Quebec,  Falls  of  Montmorency  near,  view  of 

.       23 

Queen  Anne     ,            ,            •            . 

.    6;  sets  174 

Queen  Caroline 

.     ii8 

Queen  Charlotte 

136;  ware  190 

Queen  Elizabeth           , 

.    2.3 

Queen  Mary      . 

•           .            .10 

Queen's  Ware  .           , 

•           ,           62,  192 

Ranelagh 

.    130 

Regent's  Body  .            , 

.    147 

Regent's  CanaL            , 

.      25 

Regent's  Park  . 

25,  66 

Revolution        .            , 

12,  ss 

Rhode  Island  Arms     . 

.      62 

Ridgway,  Job  . 

.      41 

Ridgway  &  Sons          , 

.      41 

Ridgway.  J.  &  W. 

.41.  47.  83,  84 

Ridgway,  Son  &  Wear 

.       53 

Riley,  J.  &  R.  . 

5 

Ripon,  view  of  . 

.       34 

Rochester,  City  of,  N.  Y. 

18,  21,  94 

aqueduct  89,  91,  92 

Rockingham     .            .            . 

.7.125 

Pogers,  potter  . 

.      69 

INDEX 


297 


Rose.  William  . 

Rowlandson     .  ,  , 

Royal  Worcester 

Ruins  of  Exchange,  N.  Y.,  view  of 

Sadler,  John      .  , 

Sadler  &  Green  ,  ,  .  icx3,  loi 

Sadler,  Richard 

Sailor  pitchers  . 

Salopian  Works. 

Salt  glaze  .  , 

Sancho  Panza  at  the  Boar  Hunt  design 

Sandusky,  view  of 

Saucers  .  . 

Savannah  Bank  cup-plate 

Scudder's  American  Museum 

Scriptural  design 

Second  Tour  of  Dr.  Syntax 

Select  Views  Series 

Semi-china        .  , 

Sevres   . 

Shakespeare  Piece        , 

Shaw,  Ralph      . 

Shelton. 

Ship  of  the  Line  in  the  Downs  desigi 

"  Smith  set''  of  China 

Smollett 

Soft  Glaze 

Soft  Paste 

Spode,  Josiah    .  .         187;  ware  158 — 160,17 

Southampton,  Hampshire,  plate 

South  Carolina,  Arms  of 

"Spurs  "  on  China 

St.  George's  Chapel,  London,  view  0 

St.  Paul's  Chapel,  New  York  City,  view  of 

Staffordshire     .  .  7,  12—59;  ware  98,  108,  136, 

Stamp  Impressed 

State  House  at  Boston,  plate  . 


. 

153 

• 

32 

U7 

• 

81 

100.  102, 

104 

193. 1 

35. 

247 
13 

113. 1 

6. 

117 

59. 

162 

3. 

12,  14 

33 

75 

249 

46 

52 

83 
32 
34 

5.7.8. 

5.57 

131 

132 

12 

12 

26 

137 

130 

7 

7 

patter 

159 
46 
62 
84 
66 
89 

249,  2 

;o. 

252 

15. 

17 

,  22 
47 

«98 


INDEX, 


*•  States"  pattern 

•           • 

.  29.  30 

Steele  . 

.      130 

Stevenson,  Andrew 

26,  29,  53,  92,  94 

Ralph  . 

.       38,  47—54,  83.  92 

Ralph  &  Sons 

92 

R.  &  Williams. 

33.48,  51.53.88 

"  Stilts  "  on  China 

8,  33.  131 

Stoke-on-Trent          , 

12 

Stoke.  Works  at 

.         64 

Stonington,  Battle  of,  view    . 

.       113 

Stoughton  Church  Cup-plate. 

.   46,53 

Stoughton  Hall,  Harvard  College     . 

52 

"  Stourbridge  Lion  "  Locomotive     , 

.44 

Stratford-le-Bow        , 

126,  129 

Strawberry  Hill         ,            .           ,            . 

.  10.  133 

Stubbs,  Joseph 

.  35-37,61.69 

Stubbs&  Kent 

37 

Sunderland  Inscription          .           ,       80 

pitchers  114,  115,  172 

Sun  of  Righteousness  Series. 

23 

Swansea         .... 

125,  160 

Swift  ..... 

.        130 

Sydenham      .           .           •           • 

.          58 

Syntax  Designs         .           .           • 

32.  33.  39.  46,  48,  84 

Table  Rock,  Niagara,  view  of          •           1 

22 

Table  Ware    .... 

.            .     8,  12 

Tarns,  S.  &  Co. 

.    70.71 

Tarns,  &  Anderson    . 

.    70.71 

Tarns,  Anderson  &  Tams    . 

.    70,  71 

Tea,  Tea-pots 

243,  248 

Templeton,  Lady 

17 

Texas  Campaign,  The 

74 

Thompson's  "  Seasons  "      , 

120 

"Tobys" 

241 

Tomb  Designs 

.    54.  56 

Tortoise-shell  Ware  . 

6 

"  Tournament "  Pitcher 

44 

Transfer  Printing 

» 

143.  U4 

INDEX 


299 


1  rinity  Church 

.      51 

Trumble-Prime  Collection  of  China    . 

.      96 

Troy  from  Mt.  Ida  view 

.      46 

Tunstall             .... 

12.64,65.66 

Turner,  John,  Potter    . 

.    170 

Turner.  J.  M.  W. 

.      120;  designs  122 

Turner,  Thomas 

.     162 

Twymouth  Haven        .           *           , 

•            .    114 

Unknown  Makers         .            .            , 

75—81 

United  States  Hotel,  Philadelphia,  view 

.      70 

University  Hall  view    .            .            , 

.       52 

Urn.  Niagara   .... 

.      94 

Utica  view         .... 

.     70 ;  inscription  78 

Valentine,  The,  Wilkie  design 

33.  46 

Waldegrave,  Lord 

•           .           .10 

Wall.  W.  G.      . 

,            • 

.      27.  28,  31 

Wall,  J. 

.            . 

.    145 

Walpole.  Horace 

•            » 

.  10,  130,  133 

Warren,  General           . 

,            , 

.    113 

Warwick  Castle  view    . 

,            , 

.      25 

Washington,  George    , 

. 

30.  53.  55-57.  68,  84,  86 

88,  89. 

90.  91.  97.  107.  108,  109,' 
no.  III  ;  portrait  182 

"Washington  etc,"  inscriptior 

1 

21 

Washington  Memorial . 

. 

22  ;  tomb  63  ;  vase  22 

Webster.  Daniel 

,            , 

21 

Wedgewood,  Josiah     .           , 

5. 

12.  14.  58,  66.  83.  96.  loi 

102,  103,  123,  142,  156,  166' 

167,  169.  173.  175,  182,  185'; 

ca 

talogue  210,  211,  219-229 

"Weehawk'-byWall! 

.      38 

Wells  Cathedral  view  . 

.      34 

"  Wellington  "  boots    . 

.     136 

Wellington.  Duke  of    .            , 

.     169 

Wesley,  Rev.  John        . 

.      IS 

300 

INDEX 

• 

West  Point.  N.  Y. 

. 

•           .           .20 

Whieldon,  Thomas 

. 

.     6,  170.  187 

White  House  at  Washington 

.       30 

White  Ware      . 

44.  166 

Whitfield,  John 

.       15 

"  Willow  "  pattern 

.       10.  13.  59 

Wilkie.  Sir  David 

32;  designs  31.  33,  39.  46 

Windsor 

57  ;  Castle  25.  91 

Wolfe.  General 

.     112 

Wood,  Aaron    . 

.       14 

Enoch   . 

12,   14-28 

E.  and  Sons 

15-56,83.89 

Ralph    . 

.       14 

Wood  &  Caldwell 

16,  17 

Worcester 

7,  125,  142-147  ;  Royal  147 

Yale  College     . 

52.  73 

Yarmouth 

.       25 

Young,  Arthur 

.     246 

Zoological  Gardens  "  Series  . 


47 


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